VerbatimParliament, as it happens

Public Sector: Advertising

Asked by Daisy CooperLiberal DemocratDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled Answered 29 October 2024UIN 10144

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will conduct a review of public notices advertising to ensure that those notices are distributed in (a) printed and (b) online news outlets.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock

Public notices are important for ensuring that the public is kept informed of decisions made by their council which may affect their quality of life, local services or amenities, or their property. The independent 2019 Cairncross Review into sustainable journalism found that public notices are also an important source of revenue for local newspapers. However, the Government is aware of feedback from some sectors about the audience reach of these notices and the desire for greater digitalisation. In this context, the sector’s Public Notice Portal is a welcome innovation, intended to take advantage of print publishers’ growing digital audiences and provide a centralised resource for all types of public notice. We are monitoring the progress of the Portal, and the effect that it has on the audience reach of public notices.

Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →

Open this question in Verbatim →

Every written question, searchable

155,000 questions tabled since the election, with the answer each department gave — and the ones still unanswered, with the clock running. Free to search.

Search written questions →Read on Verbatim