To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what public relations companies the Commission for Rural Communities has hired in the last three years; at what cost; for what purposes; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract between the Commission and each such company. (305296)

The following figures set out the Commission for Rural Communities’ (CRC) spend on public relations companies over the last three years, 1 April 2007 to 31 October 2009.

CRC has contracted with the following bodies:

Pam Beddard PR (south west)

Navigator PR (north east, north west and Yorkshire and the Humber)

Kendalls (east of England)

Aura PR (east Midlands)

Rhian French Communications (south east)

Danks Cockburn Public Relations (west Midlands)

The increase in 2008-09 was largely due to the preparation and publication during that year of the CRC’s “State of the Countryside” report. The CRC has used public relations companies to support activities relating to the gathering of evidence and the launching and dissemination of reports, research and guidance, particularly at a regional level.

Due to commercial sensitivity and constraints CRC will not be placing copies of the contracts in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what public affairs companies the Commission for Rural Communities has engaged in the last three years; at what cost and for what purposes; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the contracts under which such payments were made. (305753)

The Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) contracted one public affairs company, Connect Public Affairs, to provide events management and communications support in respect of the CRC’s activities at the 2007 and 2008 party conferences. The cost was as follows:

Due to commercial sensitivity and constraints CRC will not be placing these contracts in the Library.