HC Deb 09 March 2004 vol 418 cc1382-3W
Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total expenditure on communications for the Department has been in 2003–04, broken down by expenditure on(a) Government Information and Communication Service staff and (b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) others. [158157]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The DFES estimates that Strategy and Communications Directorate will, in 2003–04, expend around £4.9 million of its administrative budget on communications staff. £2 million of that will be on Government Information and Communication Service (GICs) staff. Press officers will make up approximately £0.7 million of the GICS cost. There are no press officer costs outside of this.

Additionally, policy directorates plan to spend £3.5 million on their communications staff in 2003–04. It would be of disproportionate cost to identify any further GICs costs within this.

The Special Advisers' Code of Conduct sets out the sort of work a special adviser may undertake on behalf of their Minister. This includes communications activity. Details of the costs of special advisers are given on an annual basis. Information for the financial year 2003–04 will be published in due course.

Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many staff are employed in the Department to work in the communications field, broken down by(a) Government Information and Communication Service staff and (b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) others. [158160]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The DFES Strategy and Communications Directorate (SCD) currently employ 159 staff on communication activities, 54 are members of the Government Information and Communication service (GICs), of whom 23 are press officers. There are no non-GICs press officers. In addition, policy directorates employ a further 121 'other' staff on communications activities.

There are two special advisers' to the Secretary of State. The Special Advisers' Code of Conduct sets out the sort of work a special adviser may undertake on behalf of their Minister. This includes communications activity. Details of the costs of special advisers are given on an annual basis. Information for the financial year 2003–04 will be published in due course.