§ Lord Roberts of Conwyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether their relationship with the press is satisfactory.
§ The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn)My Lords, a functioning democracy requires a competent government and a free press. Both exist in this country at this time. The relationship is therefore entirely satisfactory.
§ Lord Roberts of ConwyMy Lords, I am delighted to see that the Government and the country still believe in a free press. But why, with a free press, do the Government feel obliged to spend so much time, effort and taxpayers' money in manipulating the press to see things from their point of view? Spin is self-defeating in the end and the Government must know that. Meanwhile, how much is the Government's publicity machine costing and is the taxpayer given value for money?
§ Lord Williams of MostynMy Lords, doing the job I do I try to emulate the lily of the field: I toil not, neither do I spin.
§ Lord McNallyMy Lords, has the Leader of the House yet had the opportunity to read Hugo Young in this morning's Guardian? He gives a good assessment of the Government's record as a news provider. He says,
It has not been a reliable bearer of honest news about its own record. It has not been good with statistics. It promised much, claimed too much and delivered too little [in] the era when spin equated with mendacity".Is not that a more accurate description of this Government's record in their relations with the press than the rather complacent response of the noble and learned Lord?
§ Lord Williams of MostynMy Lords, complacent? Moi? The fact is that all political organisations, however unsuccessful—for instance, the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives—expend money on press relations. Speaking for myself as an entirely helpful and impartial observer, if the Liberal Democrat and Conservative Central Offices are paying money to have their message put across, I advise them to ask for the money back.
§ Baroness BuscombeMy Lords, are not the Government the biggest advertiser in this country? Will the noble and learned Lord tell us what is the total spend of taxpayers' money on advertising by all government departments?
§ Lord Williams of MostynMy Lords, of course the Government advertise. We have been advertising for police officers and so at the moment have the largest number of police officers there have ever been. We shall have 130,000 police officers on the beat next year. The figure the noble Baroness may be looking for is the Central Office of Information advertising spend which, in 1986–87, at modern-day prices, was £191,600; at 2001 prices the spend in 2001 was £192,000—hardly any difference at all. I advise those noble Lords who may be obsessed with spin to consider whether or not there is too much froth in the approach generally. All organisations want to put their message over. The Government: have done that rather well in two successful general elections.