To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff in her Department are employed in media relations and communications roles; and how much was spent on the salaries of such staff members in each of the last 10 years.

There are 61 full time equivalent staff currently employed in Defra’s communications directorate, which includes internal communications, digital communications, speechwriting, public information campaigns, communications strategy and media relations. The estimated pay cost for communications staff for the past ten years is listed below. This cost includes salaries, National Insurance and pension contributions. This amount has fluctuated as the composition of the communications directorate within Defra has changed over time in response to departmental priorities.