HC Deb 24 May 2004 vol 421 cc1471-2W
Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff were employed in the Department to work in the communications field, and what the total expenditure on communications for the Department was, 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, in (A) 1994–95, (B) 1996–97, (C) 1997–98 and (D) 2001–02. [168681]

Maria Eagle

The Department for Work and Pensions was formed in June 2001 from the former Department of Social Security and parts of the former Department for Education and Employment. Information on costs from 1994 to 2000–01 is not held centrally, and for the year 2001–02, is only available for the Department's Communications Directorate. The available information is in the table.

Total expenditure on DWP Communications Directorate staff for

the Department for 2001–02
Total staff cost (£) 5,023,218
Of which
Cost of press office staff (£) 816,725
Total of staff employed in DWP Communications Directorate

broken down by (a) Government Information and Communication

Service (GICS) staff and (b) other staff broken down by (i) Press

Officers (ii) special advisers and (ii) others in 2001–02
(i) GICS 147
(ii) Other staff 154
Of which
(iii) Press Officers (numbers) 18
(iv) Special Advisers (numbers) Nil
(v) Others (numbers) 136
1Includes 21 Press Officers
Notes:
1. All costs exclude VAT.
2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 1,000.
3. Advertising costs are total media costs excluding all production costs.
4. Information campaigns costing under £250,000 and the details of highly localised publicity activity by the Department's customer-facing businesses have generally not been included as a disproportionate cost would be incurred in compiling these figures. Non GIGS Press Officers are Regional Press Officers.
The total publicity expenditure column includes the advertising costs shown. Final expenditure April 2003 to March 2004 may differ from these figures depending on actual activity and billing dates.

The Department for Work and Pensions was formed in June 2001. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 January 2004, Official Report, column 342W, detailing expenditure for 2001–02 and 2002–03. Information on total advertising and publicity costs by campaign for these years can be found in the Department's annual reports, copies of which are in the Library.

A more detailed breakdown, distinguishing between advertising and other publicity costs, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.