HC Deb 22 March 2004 vol 419 c520W
Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 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. [158162]

Ms Hewitt

On 1 March 2004 there were 47 members of the Government Information and Communications Service (GICS) working in the DTI Strategy Unit's Communications Directorate. The figure includes 19 Press Officers. Other GICS staff worked in Marketing, Internal Communications, Strategic Communications and internet/new media teams.

The Special Advisers' Code of Conduct sets out the sort of work a special adviser may undertake on behalf of their Minister, including communications activity.

Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total expenditure on communications for her 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. [158209]

Ms Hewitt

The 2003–04 running costs of the DTI Strategy Unit's Communications Directorate is expected to be £2.9 million. The detailed information is not held in the form requested and could only be provided at disprortionate cost.

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.