§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total expenditure on advertising by the Department was in(a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03; and what the level of planned expenditure is for (i) 2003–04 and (ii) 2004–05. [114434]
§ Mr. RammellIn the year 2002–03 the Foreign and Commonwealth Offices separately identifiable expenditure on advertising totalled £602,670. The bulk of this comprised of media spend for consular publicity campaigns, which are aimed at encouraging UK travellers to be better prepared before going overseas, and advertising for recruitment purposes.
In the year 2003–04 planned separately identifiable expenditure on advertising totals £317,000.
Plans for expenditure on advertising in 2004–05 have yet to be made.
There was in 2002–03, and is likely to be in 2003–04, additional expenditure in the UK and overseas that, under FCO accounting procedures, cannot be separately identified as advertising; to attempt to disaggregate this would incur disproportionate costs.
All figures provided represent the expenditure of the FCO and not of Wilton Park, our only agency, or our 10 non-departmental public bodies; these details are not held centrally and cannot therefore be compiled without incurring disproportionate costs.
The Government are committed to using only cost effective channels to deliver the publicity necessary to support policy implementation. Paid advertising is only resorted to after careful consideration of the cost-benefits.