Minister threatens three councils with directions over frequency of newsletters

The Government has sent ‘minded to’ letters to three London boroughs as it seeks to stop them publishing regular newsletters more often than quarterly.

The letters demanding compliance with the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity were sent by the Communities Secretary to Hackney, Newham and Waltham Forest councils, which have been publishing newsletters on a fortnightly basis.

The Department for Communities and Local Government said Sajid Javid had carefully considered representations from the three councils about their free fortnightly newsletters.

The local authorities now have 14 days from the date of the notice to make any further representations to the Secretary of State.

“Following this, the Communities Secretary may, if he considers it necessary, direct any or all of the councils to comply with the Code, having had due regard to any further representations received and the Equalities Statement on enforcing the Publicity Code,” the DCLG said.

The Government has also issued new guidance on a £1,500 business rates discount for office space occupied by local newspapers. The discount was announced by George Osborne in his last Budget as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Communities Minister Marcus Jones said: “An independent free press is vital for local democracy and it’s important that we support them in holding local leaders to account.

“That’s why from next year newspaper offices will benefit from a £1,500 discount on their business rates bills, making a real difference to their overall running costs.

“Equally, councils shouldn’t undermine local democracy by publishing their own newsletters, more often than quarterly. I’m offering the small number that aren’t playing by the rules this last chance to put their publishing houses in order or I will use my powers to require them to do so.”

The Communities Secretary has the power to issue a direction requiring a specified authority to comply with some, or all, of the Publicity Code. Sections 4A and 4B were inserted into the Local Government Act 1986 via provisions in the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 which gave the Secretary of State this power.

The Communities Secretary holds these powers under the 1986 Local Government Act – if, once a direction has been issued, the council fails to act they could face a court order requiring them to.