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Ministry of Defence

Answer

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. [168680] Mr. Caplin: Information for 1994-95, 1996-97 and 1997-98 is no longer available. During the financial year 2001-02, a total of 150 military and civilian personnel were employed within the communications organisation in the Ministry of Defence Headquarters. This included 21 members of the Government Information and Communication Service (GICS). Of the remainder, eight worked in the Press Office and the others were employed on a wide range of tasks, including design, publicity, marketing, internal communications and strategic planning. The cost of these staff for 2001- 02 was £5.3 million, of which around £0.90 million was for the members of the GICS. The figures relate to those employed within the Ministry of Defence's Headquarters Communications department at any time during the year. Details of staff employed in communications elsewhere in the MOD are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. There are two special advisers in the Ministry of Defence, neither of whom are members of the communications organisation. The Special Adviser's Code of Conduct sets out the sort of work a special adviser may undertake on behalf of their Minister and 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.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

168680; 422 c639W

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Expenditure Government departments Staff Special advisers Ministry of Defence Information officers Information services

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk