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25 Nov 2008 : Column 1335W—continued


Departmental Electronic Equipment

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department and its agency have spent on (a) flat screen televisions, (b) DVD players and (c) stereo equipment in each of the last three years. [237435]


25 Nov 2008 : Column 1336W

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department has spent the following amounts in each of the last three years.

£

Flat screen televisions DVD players Stereo equipment

2005-06

(1)3,231

0

0

2006-07

0

0

0

2007-08

7,023

1,639

0

(1) This amount includes a flat screen television, stand, protective screen and case. It is not possible to separate the cost of each item.

Departmental Information Officers

Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many press and communications officers are employed by (a) the British Library, (b) the British Museum, (c) the Geffrye Museum, (d) the Horniman Museum and (e) the Imperial War Museum. [225755]

Barbara Follett: The information requested has been provided by the following organisations:

The British Library

The British Library currently employs nine full-time equivalent staff as press and communications officers.

The British Museum

The British Museum currently employs four full-time equivalent staff as press and communications officers.

The Geffrye Museum

The Geffrye Museum currently employs 1.8 full-time equivalent staff as press and communications officers.

The Horniman Museum

The Horniman Museum currently employs one full-time equivalent member of staff as press and communications officer.

The Imperial War Museum

The Imperial War Museum currently employs five full-time equivalent staff as press and communications officers.

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many press officers his Department has employed in each year since 1997-98; at what cost; and if he will make a statement. [238441]

Barbara Follett: The number of press officers employed by the Department in each year since 1997-98 and the cost, is shown in the table:

Number of press officers Cost (£)

1997-98

7

1998-99

9

1999-2000

8

2000- 01

9

2001-02

8

2002-03

9

459,952

2003- 04

10

552,677

2004-05

9

466,206

2005-06

(1)13

550,124

2006-07

(1)13

733,412

2007-08

11*

682,858

(1) This includes press officers working on the Olympics.

25 Nov 2008 : Column 1337W

The cost for each year is available only from 2002-03 as the information for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Leave

Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the rate of staff (a) absenteeism and (b) sickness absence was in (i) his Department, (ii) its agency and (iii) each of his Department's non-departmental public bodies in each year from 1997-98 to 2007-08; what the target rates in each case are for his Department; and if he will make a statement. [238508]

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the rate of staff (a) absenteeism and (b) sickness absence was in (i) his Department, (ii) its agency and (iii) its non-departmental public bodies in each year since 1997-98; what targets have been set for his Department in each respect; and if he will make a statement. [238505]

Mr. Sutcliffe: (a) The rate of staff absenteeism for DCMS and the Royal Parks Agency (DCMS's executive agency) is zero.

(b) The sickness absence figures for DCMS and the Royal Parks Agency are contained in the annual report Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service published by the Cabinet Office, website at

The sickness absence reports on the Cabinet Office website cover the dates from 2003-07. DCMS and the Royal Parks Agency do not hold sickness absence records prior to 2003.

2007-08
Department Average working days lost (per staff)

DCMS

4.8

Royal Parks Agency

4


The Department does not have targets set for sickness absence. However, we continue to ensure that we monitor and manage sickness absence and to promote a healthy environment and culture in the Department through the Department's sickness absence policy.

The information in relation to the non-departmental public bodies could be provided at only disproportionate costs.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisors

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department assist special advisers; and what the cost of employing such staff was in each of the last three years. [237320]

Mr. Sutcliffe: In each of the last three years one Civil Servant has assisted the special advisers in my office. This Civil Servant provides administrative support of a non-political nature in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers and the Civil Service Code.

Individual Civil Servants’ salary details are not disclosed in order to protect the privacy of the individual concerned.


25 Nov 2008 : Column 1338W

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost of provision of Government cars to special advisers in his Department has been in the last 12 months. [238167]

Mr. Sutcliffe: None. The Government Car Agency does not provide officials cars for special advisers.

Departmental Postal Services

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether his Department uses the Royal Mail as the primary company for sending its post, parcels and packages. [238117]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Royal Mail is the primary company used by the Department for sending post, parcels and packages.

Departmental Press Releases

Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many press releases were issued by his Department in each year since 1997-98; and if he will make a statement. [238514]

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many press releases his Department has issued in each year since 1997-98; and if he will make a statement. [238439]

Barbara Follett: The number of press releases issued by the Department in each year since 1997-98 is shown in the following table:

Number of releases

1997-98

315

1998-99

338

1999-2000

294

2000-01

370

2001-02

227

2002-03

160

2003-04

116

2004-05

181

2005-06

154

2006-07

165

2007-08

130


Departmental Public Relations

Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when his Department completed its preliminary review of its Public Engagement and Recognition Unit; which grade of official carried out the review; and if he will place a copy of the report in the Library. [238183]

Mr. Sutcliffe: We regularly monitor the performance of the Public Engagement and Recognition Unit (PERU) but as yet there has been no review of the unit. PERU, along with the other outputs of the DCMS change programme, will be examined in the course of the Capability Re-review of DCMS which will begin in January 2009. The findings of that Re-review will be published.


25 Nov 2008 : Column 1339W

Departmental Recruitment

Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on recruitment consultants in each of the last five years; and which companies provided these services. [230079]

Barbara Follett: The table shows how much my Department spent on recruitment consultants in each of the last five years, and which companies provided these services.

£000

2007-08 2006-07 2005-06 2004-05 2003-04

Taylor Bennett

19

0

0

0

0

Odgers, Ray and Berndtson

238

149

36

71

96

Capita Resourcing

12

32

24

0

0

Whitehead Mann Ltd.

0

164

53

0

0


Departmental Redundancy Pay

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of his Department’s staff who left under (a) an involuntary and (b) a voluntary exit scheme in each year since 2005-06 received a severance package of (i) up to £25,000, (ii) £25,001 to £50,000, (iii) £50,001 to £75,000, (iv) £75,001 to £100,000 and (v) over £100,000; and if he will make a statement. [239160]

Mr. Sutcliffe: In the Department for Culture, Media and Sport there have been no (a) involuntary or (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in any year since 2005-06.


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