Information Officers

Mr. Freud
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the number, and the average cost, of information officers employed by his Department at the beginning of each of the last four years.

Mr. Heseltine
The number and cost of information officers in my Department, including the Property Services Agency, Building Research Establishment, and Fire Research Station, in these years are: --------------
|January 1976|
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|January 1977|
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|January 1978|
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|January 1979|
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|January 1980|
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The information officer group, in addition to press officers, includes information specialists in exhibitions, films, publications, advertising and editorial work. Since September 1976 my Department has provided a common service to the Department of Transport on films, publications and exhibitions.