asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many staff working in support of information officers, were employed in his Department in each of the last five years.

The number of staff in my Department working in support of information officers is as follows:

1 January 1975	40
1 January 1976	41
1 January 1977	40
1 January 1978	40
1 January 1979	53
1 January 1980	45

The figures for 1 January 1976 to 1979 inclusive include staff in the Department of Prices and Consumer Protection which has since been absorbed in the Department of Trade. In 1978 some functions previously performed in the Department of Industry were transferred to my Department.