True Cost of Council’s Communications Revealed

Ealing spends almost £3m of tax payers' money on publicity

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Figures compiled by The TaxPayers' Alliance have revealed that the amount spent by Ealing Council on publicity last year (2006-07) was £2,979,000.

The spending puts Ealing 7th in the league table of London Borough Councils and 37th out of all local authorities in the country.

Ealing Council, who are required by law to keep a separate account of their expenditure on publicity, have increased spending by 132 per cent over the past decade though have never used a penny of its multi-million pound publicity budget on local web sites such as www.ealingtoday.co.uk, www.actonw3.com or www.chiswick4.com operating in the area.

With council tax bills having doubled over the last ten years, The TaxPayers' Alliance launched a series to review expenditure by local authorities to highlight areas of spending that could and should be reduced. These figures have never previously been compiled in one place because the TPA is the first non-government body to have collected the accounts for all 450-plus councils.

Entitled ‘Council Spending Uncovered’ the series of reviews challenges the claim that local authorities are short of money by publishing figures that will allow council taxpayers to decide for themselves whether their local authority is spending their money wisely. This first paper examined the increase in local authority spending on publicity over the last decade and uncovered some startling results.

The report revealed that neighbouring borough Hounslow's spend rose by an enormous 3611.7 per cent making theirs the largest increase out of all the 450 local authorities in the country. Although by contrast, Hounslow spent £1,203,000, less than a third of Ealing's bill.

However, not all councils increased their publicity spend. Hammersmith and Fulham spent £669,000 in 2006-07, down 11 per cent from the £751,000 spent in 1996-97. In 2005-06, however, the council spent £1,030,000 on publicity, meaning that the 1 year fall in spending was 35 per cent.

“If Hammersmith and Fulham can reduce publicity spending by 35 per cent in one year and make other efficiency savings and reduce council tax by 3 per cent, then it must be possible for other councils to follow suit.” said Matthew Elliott, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, who adds “It’s important for council taxpayers to see just how their hard-earned money is being spent by town halls. 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. 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.”

 

Council Spending on Publicity, £ Increase
- 1996-97 2006-07 Growth Ranking
by
Spending
Ranking
by
Population
Greater London Authority* - £5,163,000 - 6 1
Southwark £1,454,026 £5,057,000 247.80% 8 72
Newham - £4,018,000 - 18 84
Haringey* £844,000 £3,639,000 331.20% 25 96
Camden £1,298,357 £3,505,913 170.00% 27 93
Westminster - £3,277,000 - 30 91
Greenwich £743,000 £3,189,000 329.20% 32 99
Ealing £1,284,000 £2,979,000 132.00% 37 55
Redbridge £1,108,000 £2,474,000 123.30% 53 80
Islington - £2,322,000 - 59 126
Barking and Dagenham £614,000 £2,316,000 277.20% 60 143
Tower Hamlets £1,289,357 £2,300,000 78.40% 61 108
Enfield £1,420,000 £2,151,000 51.50% 68 64
Lewisham £721,000 £2,130,000 195.40% 69 76
Hillingdon - £1,804,000 - 81 83
Wandsworth £588,725 £1,746,975 196.70% 85 67
Hackney £1,587,908 £1,711,000 7.80% 88 110
Merton* £785,000 £1,687,000 114.90% 91 117
Waltham Forest - £1,439,000 - 105 100
Harrow - £1,394,000 - 107 106
City of London - £1,318,000 - 112 457
Lambeth £1,024,000 £1,299,000 26.90% 114 69
Brent £682,000 £1,297,000 90.20% 115 70
Kensington and Chelsea £557,000 £1,267,000 127.50% 119 130
Hounslow* £32,411 £1,203,000 3611.70% 124 103
Havering* £363,000 £1,168,000 221.80% 128 94
Barnet £923,000 £1,118,000 21.10% 133 47
Sutton - £1,076,000 - 138 127
Croydon £618,000 £952,000 54.00% 145 45
Bromley £287,197 £907,000 215.80% 147 58
Richmond upon Thames £45,714 £753,000 1547.20% 166 129
Kingston upon Thames £427,018 £711,000 66.50% 174 157
Bexley £322,000 £684,000 112.40% 176 101
Hammersmith and Fulham £751,000 £669,000 -10.90% 178 137
Regional average £790,789 £2,021,320 155.60% - -
*2005-06 data latest available (i.e. 2006-07 data not yet available)

 

December 14, 2007