To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent by his Department on newspapers and magazines in the last 12 months. (153046)

The total amount spent on publications for the last financial year, ending March 2007, was £1,410,027.68. This covers expenditure on newspapers, magazines and journals and also includes expenditure on press cuttings. Although it is not possible to identify the expenditure on newspapers and magazines alone without incurring disproportionate cost, the amount spent on publications has fallen significantly over the past 10 years. In the financial years 1997-2001 the average yearly spend on publications was £2,327,661.