Departmental Information Officers

Mr. Hurd
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff in his Department and its agencies (a) have the status of embedded communicators and (b) are members of the Government Communications Network but are not listed in the Central Office of Information White Book.

Mr. McFadden
At the most recent assessment of those embedded, in October 2009, there were 18 embedded communicators in BIS. Embedded communicators are defined as staff employed primarily in a communications role based in policy or delivery units outside of the central communications function.

It is not possible to provide the number of embedded communicators who are members of the Government Communications Network (GCN) but not listed in the White Book as the Department does not hold GCN membership data.

I have approached the Chief Executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office and the Intellectual Property Office and they will respond to the hon. Member directly.

Letter from Peter Mason, dated 12 February 2010:

I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 29 January 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, asking how many staff (a) have the status of embedded communicators and (b) are members of the Government Communications Network but are not listed in the Central Office of Information White Book.

a) The National Measurement Office, following a recent restructure, has one part time member of staff (0.6 FTE) who we believe would be regarded as an “embedded communicator” in that she is employed primarily in a communications role based in the enforcement team of the Agency. This role is based outside of the central communications team.

b) The National Measurement Office has no staff who are members of the Government Communications Network.

Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 12 February 2010:

I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 29 January 2010, UIN 315168 to the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Companies House has five staff who are members of the Government Communication Network, and classed as Government communicators. The two members with responsibility for dealing with press enquiries are listed in the Central Office of Information White Book, the other three are not.

Letter from Sean Dennehey, dated 2 February 2010:

I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 29 January 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

The Intellectual Property Office does not have any staff who have the status of embedded communicators.

Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 18 February 2010:

The Minister of State, for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has asked me to reply to your question how many staff in his Department and its agencies (a) have the status of embedded communicators and (b) are members of the Government Communications Network but are not listed in the Central Office of Information White Book.

The Insolvency Service has 7 embedded communicators, 2 of whom are not direct employees but are Agency staff. There are no staff that are members of the Government Communications Network but are not listed in the Central Office of Information White Book.