To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many (a) press and (b) communications officers the House of Commons Commission employed in each of the last 10 years. (182517)

The House of Commons Commission first employed a Media and Communications Adviser in October 2000. Since this date the following additional staff have been employed:

2001: 1 x Media and Communications Assistant (part-time)

2003: 1 x Select Committee Media Officer

2004: 2 x Select Committee Media Officers

2005: 2 x Media and Communications Officers

2006: 2 x Select Committee Media Officers

There are currently nine staff in the House of Commons Media and Communications Service: the Communications Adviser, five Select Committee Media Officers, two Media and Communications Officers and a Media and Communications Assistant.

To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how much the Commission paid in bonuses to press and communication officers in each of the last 10 years; and what the (a) highest and (b) lowest such bonus was in each of those years. (182730)

In order to protect the privacy of the staff concerned, the value of payments made in each year cannot be disclosed. However, for the years in question the House of Commons Commission paid a total of £5,174 in respect of performance related bonuses to press and communications officers. The individual amounts paid ranged from £74 to £515.