To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Department for International Development and its agencies spent on (a) public relations consultants, and (b) public affairs consultants, in each of the past three years; and for what purposes. [HL2450]

The information cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate costs.

To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and its agencies spent on (a) public relations consultants, and (b) public affairs consultants, in each of the last three years; and for what purposes. [HL2451]

In Defra, public relations cover a wide range of activity which forms an important element of a broader communications mix. This can include advertising, direct marketing, live events and publications. Defra does not use public affairs consultants.

The table below shows public relations activity procured via Defra's Communications Directorate since FY 2006-07 using the COI public relations framework. Please note that we are unable to share the 09-10 figures at this time as they have yet to be fully audited.

Detailed spend by Defra agencies is not held centrally and could only be collated at disproportionate cost.

To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Department for Children, Schools and Families, its predecessors and its agencies spent on (a) public relations consultants, and (b) public affairs consultants, in each of the past three years; and for what purposes. [HL2498]

The department uses public relations agencies for raising public awareness on specific issues. Public relations agencies are employed for specific communications tasks, most commonly working alongside our press office to provide campaign support in local, regional and specialist media. The department's expenditure on public relations for complete financial years, since its formation in June 2007, is outlined in the table below.

To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and its agencies spent on (a) public relations consultants, and (b) public affairs consultants, in each of the past three years; and for what purposes. [HL2499]

The costs of the department's contracts with public relations consultancies in each of the past three years are as follows:

Edelman provided support to the department on the cabinet project in relation to the following workstreams; network development, stakeholder engagement (including obtaining speakers), delegate recruitment, website development, content development, media engagement and the future development of cabinet. Fleishman-Hillard Group Limited provided research and communications support to the Government Olympic Executive (GOE).

The GOE has also employed two public relations consultants, at a cost of £40,000, up to the period January 2010, to create, plan and promote participation in legacy programmes inspired by the London 2012 Games.

The department's agency, the Royal Parks, has advised of the following public relations and public affairs consultancies:

These companies provided communications support on Regent's Park sports and the “Park Stories” cultural engagement project; administrative support for the All-Party Horticultural Working Group; and stakeholder audit/perception research.