Swinney drops adverts cut threat

Published on Wednesday 17 March 2010 14:23

The Scottish Government has abandoned plans to allow councils to post public notice online amid fears the move would signal the end for many newspapers.

• John Swinney

Finance Secretary John Swinney said proposals to remove the obligation on councils to place public notices such as planning applications and road closures in local newspapers could not implemented due to intense political opposition.

However, he said that councils - which had hoped to save up to 4m under the switch - would be disappointed.

Mr Swinny said: "Those who called on us to withdraw this legislation have singularly failed to say how they would cut spending on adverts – given the financial pressures as a result of the Westminster-imposed spending cuts – and enable that money to be directed to real local priorities.

"That remains a clear objective for the government and an agenda we will continue to take forward.

"We recognise this decision will be disappointing to councils, who wanted us to take action to help them at a time of spending constraints."

Mr Swinney said work will continue on a new online portal to "supplement" newspaper advertisements and ministers will also seek to ensure the newspaper industry has a "sustainable and successful" future.

Opposition parties united in January to vote against the plan, described in the Scottish Parliament as the "death knell" for small newspapers.

MSPs were also concerned that some communities and households do not have access to the internet and instead rely on local papers.

Labour leader Iain Gray said: "This decision is a victory for democracy and a humiliating climbdown for the SNP.

"John Swinney's proposals to allow local councils to put public notices online instead of in newspapers were undemocratic and I am glad that they have now been dropped."

Conservative culture spokesman Ted Brocklebank said the plan was "ill-conceived", adding: "It has been estimated that newspaper income across Scotland could have dropped by 10 million if public notices had been transferred to the internet.

"While Scottish Conservatives know we must press ahead with savings in public spending, we remain strong supporters of the local newspaper industry."

Cosla president Pat Watters said: "As a result of this decision, councils will be forced to place advertisements that nobody reads in newspapers with plummeting readerships at a cost of 6 million a year at a time when public sector budgets have never been under such pressure.

"This decision is like a council deciding to teach our children with slates and chalk when the rest of the world has moved on to new technology.

"I have no objection if the Government, whether in Westminster or Holyrood, wants to subsidise the newspaper industry to the tune of 6 million a year but this subsidy should come directly from their funds, not from ours."