To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many press officers were employed by (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies in each year since 1997. (141911)

In 2006-07 the Treasury employed the full-time equivalent of nine press officers, the Debt Management Office employed two and the Office of Government Commerce employed three. Exact figures for previous years could be supplied only at disproportionate cost but there have not been significant variations in the past five years.