§ Mr. FlightTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) special advisers, (b) press officers, (c) civil servants, (d) advisers to civil servants and (e) permanent staff were working for his Department in each year since 1996. [126472]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonBetween 1996 and 12 June 2003, there have been two special advisers in the Department of Health. Since 12 June 2003, there have been three special advisers at the Department of Health.
Information on the number of press officers is shown in the table.
Numbers 1996–97 15 1997–98 16 1998–99 18 1999–2000 21 2000–01 22 2001–02 22 2002–03 23 The term "advisers to civil servants" is not recognised.
Data on staffing levels in the civil service is collected from Departments and Agencies twice-yearly, in April and October. Headline figures are published under National Statistics guidelines via a press notice. Those for October 2002 were published on 27 February 2003.
A copy of the press notice, accompanying media brief and supporting tables is available at www.civil-service.gov.uk/statistics. Copies of these documents are also available in the Library.
More detailed information on the civil service is published annually in "Civil Service Statistics", copies of which are available in the Library. The last edition, based on April 2001 data, is due to be published at the end of July 2003.