To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total amount spent (a) by her Department and (b) within each regional health authority on press and public relations in 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1991–92.
[holding answer 25 May 1993]: Functions which are commonly associated with press and public relations are carried out by the Department's information division. Manpower and running costs of this division are:
| £ million | |
| 1989–90 | 0·890 |
| 1990–91 | 1·250 |
| 1991–92 | 1·491 |
| Expenditure on public relations | |||
| Region | 1989–90 £ (cash) | 1990–91 £ (cash) | 1991–92 £ (cash) |
| Northern | 231,062 | 392,407 | 338,150 |
| Yorkshire | 157,420 | 170,155 | 469,365 |
| Trent | 232,036 | 227,885 | 185,562 |
| East Anglian | 85,856 | 127,631 | 88,311 |
| North West Thames | 526,049 | 229,383 | 121,680 |
| North East Thames | 291,673 | 506,357 | 477,689 |
| South East Thames | 347,031 | 409,571 | 273,236 |
| South West Thames | 352,965 | 708,243 | 337,947 |
| Wessex | 227,043 | 345,591 | 344,938 |
| Oxford | 130,318 | 145,891 | 292,508 |
| South Western | 97,626 | 203,291 | 373,830 |
| West Midlands | 562,075 | 414,941 | 255,320 |
| Mersey | 129,301 | 254,705 | 200,366 |
| North Western | 196,722 | 320,258 | 164,425 |
Source: Annual accounts (1989–90/1990–91) and annual financial returns (1991–92) of regional and district health authorities in England.
Notes:
1. The figures represent the pay and other costs of public relations departments. This expenditure is incurred mainly by regional health authorities although each regional total includes some expenditure by district health authorities.
2. The figures for 1991–92 are provisional. They exclude expenditure incurred by first wave NHS Trusts from which equivalent information was not collected centrally.