Public Relations

HC Deb 17 September 2004 vol 424 cc1885-6W

Dr. Cable

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the salary costs to the Department were for employees working in public relations and publicity in each year since 1997. [183850]

Mr. Caplin

Salary costs for staff working in public relations and publicity within the Department's central communications organisation from 2001–02 to 2003–04 were as follows:

	£million
2001–02	5.3
2002–03	5.5
2003–04	5.9

Figures for years prior to 2001–02 are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The figures do not include information about staff working in public relations and publicity at command or unit level throughout the Department. Information about this is not held centrally and again could be provided only at disproportionate cost.