asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number of information officers, together with the number of supporting staff, in his Department in each of the last five years.

The number of staff working in, and supporting members of, the information officer group in my Department—including the Property Services Agency, the Building Research Station and the Fire Research Station—has been as follows:

	Information group	Support staff	Total
January 1975	91	73	164
January 1976	94	68	162
January 1977	66	40	106
January 1978	55	39	94
January 1979	56	38	94
January 1980	52	34	86

Besides press officers, the information officer group includes specialists in exhibitions, films, publications, advertising and editorial work. From 1970 to September 1976, the Department included what is now the Department of Transport; and since September 1976 it has provided a common service to the Ministry of Transport in relation to films, publications, exhibitions, together with a daily press cutting service.The reduction of 56 in the total number of staff in 1977 reflects the transfer to the Ministry of Transport of 30 staff concerned with press office and advertising work and a saving of a further 26 staff as a result of reorganisation.