To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the cost to his Department of provision of office facilities to (a) special advisers and (b) press officers (i) was in the last 12 months and (ii) has been since 1997-98. (244730)

The Department for Children, Schools and Families was created on 28 June 2007. The total cost on the provision of office facilities to press officers and special advisors during the last 12 months amounted to £240,758.90.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and its predecessors did not collect the information from 1997-98 onwards as requested and therefore it could be provided only at disproportionate costs.