asked the Prime Minister if she will publish in the Official Report the number, and the average cost, of information officers employed by her Department at the beginning of each of the last four years.

The number and total cost of information officer group staff in my office, the Civil Service Department and the Central Statistical Office on these dates were as follows:

	Number	Cost £
Prime Minister's Office
1 January 1976	7	59,000
1 January 1977	7	58,000
1 January 1978	7	62,000
1 January 1979	7	67,000
1 January 1980	5	65,000
Civil Service Department
1 January 1976	14	90,000
1 January 1977	14	96,000
1 January 1978	11	78,000
1 January 1979	9	69,000
1 January 1980	9	95,000
Central Statistical Office
1 January 1976	2	17,000
1 January 1977	2	18,000
1 January 1978	3	25,000
1 January 1979	3	27,000
1 January 1980	3	37,000

In the Civil Service Department, the information officer group, in addition to press officers, includes information specialists engaged on publications, and recruitment advertising and publicity. Information staff in the Central Statistical Office are engaged on press liaison, paid publicity and publications.