12:26pm Friday 27th August 2010
RE: The BFP article, Page 4 July 30 edition: “Cash-strapped councils spent £13k on media training”.
BCC, as the only council not offered the right to reply to the article on media training costs, welcomes the chance to clarify a few points. It was not made entirely clear that the £13k quoted as the costs for media training was across four councils, over three years. That averages out at £1,084 per annum per council. This includes VAT, which is tax deductible.
Buckinghamshire residents are represented by 57 councillors, including its eight-strong cabinet. They and senior council officers are expected to explain highly complex issues in a news-hungry environment and across a range of media fronts.
It would be unreasonable and unfair to expect them to fulfil this task without training. Your article also failed to point out, although this information was provided, that much of the media-training at BCC is carried out in-house in order to keep costs to a minimum.
Thanks for letting us put the record straight.
Viv Saunders, Media Team Leader, Buckinghamshire County Council
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