Hendry calls for savings in publicity budget

Councillor Graeme Hendry said: "These figures show that Glasgow’s Labour Council is very good at spending public money to tell people about how wonderful Purcell’s Labour Party is at wasting precious resources.  More than a quarter of a million pounds on self-publicity last year is an outrageous use of taxpayer’s money when the country is in the grip of recession.  The fact that the Council is on track to spend even more this year than last simply beggars belief. 

"Including the regular updates from Local Community Planning Partnerships (LCPP) adds tens of thousands of pounds more into the mix.  In this year alone the LCPPsacross Glasgow, with partner bodies such as police and fire, plan to spend around £192,000 on publicity, with around £67,000 coming from the Council through direct funding of Community Planning Partnerships.  This is money which could and should be targeted at those most in need in our communities, not raising Labour councillor’s profiles.

"Perhaps if efficiencies were found in this rampant self publicising then more frontline services could be saved from Labour’s Glasgow cuts."

Notes:

1. The information was received after a request by Councillor Hendry.

2. The period 2008/2009 covers the full financial year of the Council; after advertising revenues, the total cost of both publications was £290,620.

3. The period 2009/2010 covers the financial year to date; after advertising revenues, the total cost to date is £135,504

4. Over the comparable period, the Council is spending 2.8% more on these publications, £131,723 in 2008/2009 versus £135,504 for the same period in 2009/2010.

5. LCPP funding of publicity in 2009/2010 is broken down as follows – this data was provided by Council Officers when queried on the cost of publicity:

North – Connect Magazine

63,000 (approx) copies delivered to households and businesses in the North Area.

3 copies per year.

Partners contributions for 2009/10:

• Community Planning - £30,000
• Culture and Sport Glasgow - £7,000
• GCSS - £2,000
• GNRA - £7,000
• North Glasgow CHCP - £7,000
• Strathclyde Police - £7,000
• Strathclyde Fire And Rescue - £1,000

East - Glasgow East Outlook

75,000 (approx) copies quarterly.

The publication is developed by Glasgow East Regeneration Agency in conjunction with local partners.

Annual contributions to cover the cost of publication are as follows:

• Community Planning - £25,000.
• East CHCP  - £10,000.
• Glasgow East Regeneration Agency - £25,000 - £27,000 (depending on final advertising revenues).

West - Glasgow News

73,000 (approx) copies delivered bi-monthly to households and distributed by partners.

Partners contributions for 2009/10:

• Community Planning - £12,000
• Culture and Sport Glasgow - £8,000
• GWRA - £12,000
• West Glasgow CHCP - £12,000
• Strathclyde Police - £5,000
• Strathclyde Fire And Rescue - £6,000

South East

No equivalent newspaper/magazine produced in the South East.

South West

No equivalent newspaper/magazine produced in the South West.  The LCPP boards use the monthly free newspaper the Govan and South West Press as and it is planned that the SW LCPPs will take a ‘wraparound’ cover for 7 editions of the G&SW Press between Sept ’09 and March ’10.  £14,500 of FSF has been allocated to cover the costs.