Pickles to axe the "weekly Town Hall Pravdas"

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles is to tighten the rules on Council newspapers. He is proposing changes to a Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity. In 2001 these rules were relaxed to make it easier for councils to print newspapers. In future Council newspapers would have to show they are value for money, do not represent unfair competition and make clear than they are Council newspapers.

Eric says:

“Councils should spend less time and money on weekly town hall Pravdas that end up in the bin, and focus more on frontline services like providing regular rubbish collections.

“The previous Government’s weakening of the rules on town hall publicity not only wasted taxpayers’ money and added to the wave of junk mail, but has undermined a free press."