§ Mr. OatenTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the people appointed to ad hoc posts within his Department bearing the titles of advocate, tsar, adviser, champion and comparable titles since May 1997; what their job title is or was; what their role is or was; whether they were or are being paid; what the total costs of each such person was in each financial year, including expenses and benefits; what the expected cost of each such person is in 2003–04; to whom they are accountable; and if he will make a statement. [112458]
§ Yvette CooperThe Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created as a separate department on 29 May 2002. In the period since then, the Office has employed three Special Advisers, as defined in paragraph 50 of the Ministerial Code: Joan Hammell, Ian McKenzie, and Paul Hackett (part-time). Their role is to advise the Deputy Prime Minister and they are accountable to him for their decisions and actions. These are paid appointments. Under Exemption 12 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, remuneration details are not disclosed in order to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned.