Costs of FOI and PR

Dear Sir or Madam,

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 I seek the following
information about the Department's staffing and funding for
publicity and communications. I would like this information broken
down annually for the past three years up to the time this request
is answered. The years may be financial or calendar, whichever is
convenient, but please keep them consistent.

Specifically, I need:

1. The number of staff (full-time equivalent) working in marketing,
external communications and press offices.

2. The number of dedicated Freedom of Information officers
(full-time equivalent).

3. Total staffing cost of marketing, external communications and
press officers.

4. Total staffing cost of dedicated Freedom of Information staff.

5. Total spending on marketing, external communications and press
offices.

6. Total spending on Freedom of Information.

7. If the department produces a newsletter then the name of this
publication and all associated costs.

Some parts of this request may be easier to answer than others, and
should this prove to be the case I would ask that you release
available data as soon as possible rather than hold up the entire
request.

I would prefer to receive this information electronically. If the
decision is made to withhold some of this data using exemptions in
Act, please inform me of that fact and cite the exemptions used.

If you need any clarification then please contact me at the number
above or via email. Under your section 16 duty to provide advice
and assistance I would expect you to contact me if you find this
request unmanageable in any way.

I would be grateful if you could confirm in writing that you have
received this request, and I look forward to hearing from you in
the near future.

Regards, Heather Brooke

Dear Mr Brown,
Your colleague asked me to clarify a few points in my FOI request.

Question 5:
do you want to know the total departmental spend on marketing
activities, external communications and press office work or just
the costs of running the sections for marketing, external
communications and the press office?

If you have two figures for this then I am happy to accept both. I
know that some departments contract out press and marketing
services so I am wary of restricting myself to just the costs of
only in-house sections. Perhaps if you could explain how these
services are provided within the department I may better be able to
restrict my query.

Question 6
do you want to know the total amount spent on administering FOI
requests across the whole Department or just the costs of running
the section containing dedicated Freedom of Information staff?

Again I am happy to accept both sets of figures but if I were to
choose one it would be just the costs of running the section
containing dedicated FOI staff.

Question 7
do you mean a newsletter sent to external contacts or a newsletter
produced for internal staff?

A newsletter sent to external contacts.

I hope that clarifies matters.

Yours sincerely,

Heather Brooke

Dear Mervyn,
Thank you for answering my request. Could you confirm that the
reply to question 6 includes any related legal costs (eg internal
and external lawyers hired to provide advice or to appeal against
requests)?

Yours sincerely,

Heather Brooke