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Scottish Government

Scottish Government denies that it is to spend £1m a year on communications contract over next four years

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By The Drum Team, Editorial

May 15, 2012 | 2 min read

The Scottish Government has denied that it is set to spend up to £1 million a year of public funds on hiring a firm to promote the policies of the SNP administration and other public bodies in the run-up to the independence referendum.

The Scotsman had reported that the Government had advertised a contract worth up to £1 million a year – or almost £3,000 a day – for the final four years of the SNP’s term in office.

The Scotsman continued: “Nationalist ministers were heavily criticised by opposition parties over the move, which comes after it emerged that taxpayers are paying nearly £12 million a year to cover the cost of the Scottish Government’s communications budget.

“The SNP already has a dozen special advisers and a figure from April, 2012 showed that the Scottish Government admitted it employed 38 full-time communications officers at a cost to taxpayers of £2.1m annually. A further £683,000 is spent on the special advisers for ministers.”

The newly-advertised contract will pay a firm to send out news releases, monitor newspaper reports and broadcasts for government departments, government agencies and public bodies.

Firms have until the end of June to bid for the contract, which the government insists will cover work “already provided by outside contractors”.

The Scottish Government has since been in touch with The Drum to challenge the claims made by the Scotsman, stating: "The £4 million figure (over 4 years) stated in the contract is an upper spending limit. It represents potential not actual spend over a four-year period. This process does not commit the Scottish Government or any other public body to spend any money.

"Consortia and sub-contracting bids are being encouraged in order to open up the contract to firms of all sizes and the opportunity is being advertised widely. This supports the Scottish Government's aim to stimulate economic growth by developing competitive market environments in which potential suppliers have easy access to business opportunities arising from the public sector."

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