HC Deb 22 July 2004 vol 424 c664W
Dr. Cable

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the salary costs to the Department were for employees working in public relations and publicity in each year since 1997. [183858]

Mr. McNulty

The salary costs of staff employed by DfT(C), since its creation in May 2002, are as follows:

£000
12002–03 2003–04
Press Office 510 697
Publicity2 459 729
1From 28 May 2002. There was a high vacancy rate in this period as a result of the split of what is now DfT from the former Department of Transport Local Government and the Regions.
2 Advertising and media buying for public information campaigns (e.g. Think! road safety), publishing (e.g. Rail Review), publication and distribution of information leaflets, posters etc.

Information for each of the financial years 1997—98 and 2001—02, when transport policy formed part of the remit of the former Departments' of Environment, Transport and the Regions and Transport, Local Government and the Regions (respectively), is not available in a comparable format.