To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many (a) special advisers and (b) press officers have been employed by his Department in each year since its inception; and at what cost in each year.

The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was established in June 2007. The Department employed one special adviser initially, rising to two from September 2007. A new special advisor was appointed on 1 September 2008, with one of the existing special advisors having a handover period agreed with Cabinet Office before leaving.

The Department's full complement of press officers has been 13 throughout that time, though in the earlier months of the Department's existence there were a number of vacancies.

The total cost of the press office to date is £267,095.52. Costs of DIUS special advisers salaries are included in the annual Ministerial Statement on special advisers' paybands.