Robert Brown backs local papers in Parliament speech

12.00.00am GMT Wed 27th Jan 2010

Glasgow MSP Robert Brown this week told the Scottish Parliament that a "significant blow" would be dealt to the Rutherglen Reformer and other local newspapers if the Government removed the requirement for public notices on planning, licensing and other developments to be advertised in local newspapers.

Mr. Brown was speaking during a debate on the newspaper industry, and used his speech in the debate to highlight the problems posed to both the public and newspapers, but ultimately democracy, if the plans to abolish the requirement for public notices went ahead.

Public notices are used to display information that councils are legally required to publish. Many are used for issues of planning, licensing, road closure or closure of council services or offices for a period of time.

The Government wants to allow Councils just to post these notices online.

However an Ofcom report states that only 32% of those in the Glasgow area have access to broadband at home, against a figure of 57% for the rest of UK.

Robert Brown said:

"Ministers plan to cut a huge chunk of the income of local papers by removing public notices from them.

"But they are clearly overlooking the significant and fundamental importance of these notices to our democracy and how it operates.

"The Government has made this move with exquisite timing, given that the newspaper industry, like many other sectors, has been hammered by the recession - with sales down 5 per cent year on year and advertising revenues down 20 per cent and more in some cases.

"Removing this vital income from public notices will be a major challenge for many newspapers in local communities across Scotland.

"The Rutherglen Reformer only recently closed its local office and moved in with other local papers in the Scottish & Universal Newspapers Group in Hamilton. Although the move has undoubtedly saved much needed money, the loss of public notice revenue would be a significant blow to the Reformer as to many other local papers throughout Scotland.

"If the Government proposal goes ahead, the loss of revenue across Scotland could be equivalent to about 300 jobs at a time when we have already seen major restructuring and job losses.

"But even more important than the effects on local newspapers are the effects on local democracy. The information in public notices is vital to let people know about planning applications, school closures of licensing applications for example which could affect them greatly.

"Many public notices are time-sensitive - that is they require people to respond within set periods of time. The purpose of a public notice is that it is something the public will notice. The public are unlikely to stumble across a relevant notice on the internet. People don't browse the internet like they turn the pages of a newspaper.

"Older people especially, will lose out, as nearly 90% of those over 75 have never used the internet, and are less likely to have access to the internet.

"Those on lower incomes are also less likely to have access to the internet, which means that a substantial proportion of the Rutherglen and Cambuslang population could miss out on important local information if it was only posted online. Often, the local newspaper itself will run articles or comments about controversial applications or campaigns about local issues which are hugely valuable.

"Without proper local journalism we can't have a fully functioning local democracy. Local decisions could be made without the need to make anything accountable, and local people could end up uninformed and disempowered.

"The proposal is highly damaging to the industry, and to our democracy. The public have a right to important information that affects them, and to be able to access that information.

"The Government must drop this ill thought out proposal."

Ends.