Home Department written question – answered at on 10 October 2005.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent on the Department's press office; and how many press officers have been employed in each year since 2002.
Press Officers within the Home Office are employed at the Information Officer (IO) and Senior Information Officer (SIO) grades.
The Press Office spend for each year includes pay costs (all grades); overtime (all grades); all general office running costs and all other Press Office expenditure.
Total | Spend (£) | |
---|---|---|
2002–03 | 39 | 3,009,489 |
2003–04 | 39 | 2,959,966 |
2004–05(58) | 43 | (58)2,777,578 |
(58)2004–05, based on the latest financial reports. However, the accounts have not yet closed and the total may change due to any reconciling that takes place.
The Press Office expanded in 2000–01 following an external consultant's review of its operation in 1999. The review recommended the creation of the Newsdesk" so as to better meet the demands of the media. This improved efficiency from 'losing' in excess of 20 per cent. of the calls pre expansion, to a position where from June 2003 to June 2004, 91.8 per cent. of the 67,070 press calls received by the Newsdesk were answered.
The Home Office press office and the Prison Service press office merged in May 2001.
In 2003–04 the Press Office Newsdesk answered 60,039 calls; Press Office issued 583 press notices and held 29 briefings for the media. The Press Office operates 24 hours a day/7 days a week to meet demands of the 24hour news agenda.
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