Rising spending on press and communication officers in central and local government has been criticised by campaigners.
 
Publicity bills for Whitehall and local authorities across the UK have topped £750m a year, separate research by the Conservative Party and the Taxpayers' Alliance has revealed.

Figures from the government, given in answers to Tory parliamentary questions, showed that £338m was spent on 3,252 Whitehall officials last year.

They included 229 press staff at the Ministry of Defence, 180 at the Department for Work and Pensions and 157 at the Home Office.

Tory shadow minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude said the cost of PR, marketing and advertising had trebled since 1997.

"When he took office, Gordon Brown promised that spin would be consigned to the dustbin," Maude said.

"Yet his pledge of a 'new politics' and to cut government waste have been shown to be a sham. The culture of spin is alive and well in Whitehall."

In separate research, the Taxpayers' Alliance said local authorities were spending £450m a year – an average of £1m a year per council and a 130 per cent increase on what was spent in 1997/98.

The research was the first instalment in its 'council spending uncovered' series and found that Birmingham City Council was the biggest spender with a £10m bill for publicity last year.

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the group, said it was important for to know how town halls were spending their money.

"With council tax doubling in the past decade, it’s extremely disappointing that councils have chosen to double their publicity budgets over the same period," he added.

"With the internet cutting the cost of communication, it shouldn’t be difficult for local authorities to find savings in this area and bring council tax down."

The Conservatives said the study showed the "corrosive culture of spin under Labour", but the Local Government Association claimed "councils have a duty... to tell people what services they get for their tax".