HC Deb 12 June 2003 vol 406 cc1029-30W
Mr. Brady

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost of(a) public relations and (b) media consultants to his Department in each of the last five years for which information is available. [118606]

Mr. Stephen Twigg

[holding answer 10 June 2003]: The cost of public relations consultants to the Department for the past five years is as follows:

  • 1998–99—£549,000
  • 1999–2000—£88,000
  • 2000–01—£794,000
  • 2001–02—£1,574,000
  • 2002–03—£1,944,457.

The increase over the past two years reflects selective use of PR agencies for a number of campaigns, such as Adult Basic Skills, Aimhigher, Connexions and Millennium Volunteers where key target audiences are difficult to reach through traditional advertising routes. Activity to develop national and local media coverage and targeted communications through external organisations already in contact with these audiences has proved effective.

The Department has not incurred expenditure on media consultants in this period.