PRCA condemns Pickles' posturing on public sector use of PA consultancy

London, 6 August 2010 - Mr Pickles' announcement to curb the use of public affairs and public relations consultancies by the public sector is ill thought out, ill informed and represents an unjustified attack on a very important and successful part of the UK Business Services sector.

The implication that all these fees are used by public bodies to hire agencies who ‘lobby' national Government is simply false and shows a blatant lack of understanding of how the public sector uses them.  Agencies provide a wide range of specialist expertise and support in-house teams in managing their media relations, public consultations, marketing activities and community relations. Almost all appointments are made through a competitive tendering processes and this is no different from utilising specialist skills in other areas such as lawyers, property advice or accountancy support.

The business services sector is the engine of the UK economy, of benefit to the public and private sectors.  The reason for an extensive list of councils, local authorities and other public sector bodies making use of public relations and public affairs support is because this provides value for money and avoids the need to employ people full time when their expertise is only needed occasionally.

Bringing private sector expertise into the public sector via competitive tendering was supposed to be in the DNA of Pickles and the Conservative party. This is an astonishingly authoritarian, centralising act from a party supposedly committed to letting local authorities decide their own priorities.

Francis Ingham, PRCA chief executive

- ENDS -

Press enquiries:

RIchard Ellis, PRCA communications director - 020 7233 6026 or richard.ellis@prca.org.uk

 

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