§ Mr. PicklesTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many(a) staff expressed as a full-time equivalent and (b) press and public affairs staff were employed (i) in his Ministerial office, (ii) in other ministerial offices within his Department, (iii) by non-departmental bodies, (iv) by executive agencies and (v) by his Department in (A) 1996–97, (B) 1997–98 and (C) on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [138127]
§ Yvette CooperThe Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created on 29 May 2002.
Data on staffing levels in the Civil Service is collected from departments and agencies twice yearly, in April and October. The latest figures, for 1 April 2003, were published on 16 October 2003. These are available on the World Wide Web at www.civil-service.gov.uk/ statistics. Copies of these documents are also available in the Libraries of the House.
Cabinet Office publishes information on non-departmental public bodies in its annual publication 'Public Bodies'. The information includes details of the number of staff employed by each Non Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) at 31 March each year. "Public Bodies 2003" is available on the Cabinet Office website at www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/agencies-publicbodies
At 1 April 2003, six full-time equivalent staff were employed in the ministerial office of the Deputy Prime Minister. A further 22 staff were employed in other Office of the Deputy Prime Minister ministerial offices. The 1079W press office provides a centralised media service on behalf of the Office as a whole. As at 1 April there were 21.8 full-time equivalent press officers. Information requested on the number of press office staff employed in the NDPBs and executive agencies is not held centrally, and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.