Written Evidence
Department for Communities and Local Government
When I appeared before the Communities and Local
Government Select Committee on 6 December to give evidence about
the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity
(the 'Publicity Code') I promised to write to you with further
details about the costs of producing 'Greenwich Time', lobbyists
activity I had experienced and the timetable for the introduction
of the Publicity Code.
I am still collating the information on the approaches
I have had from lobbyists and will write with details of this
as soon as practicable.
In a detailed survey into town hall newspapers, Andrew
Gilligan noted: "Greenwich Time has a total gross cost of
£708,000 a year, with at least £532,000 of that borne
by the public purse" (Evening Standard, 27 July 2009). Greenwich
Council's response to the Department's consultation on the Publicity
Code did include a section on costs, which stated that 'The Council
has worked hard to produce GT at the best possible price since
it was first developed' but did not actually give the cost of
producing the newspaper".
You asked about the timetable for the introduction
of the Publicity Code. We are aiming to lay the Code by early
January. If your Committee were able to report by the middle of
that month, I imagine this would enable Parliament to consider
your findings ahead of the debates on the Code.
Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP
Minister for Local Government
December 2010
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