Rebecca Evans, MS, Minister for Finance and Local Government
Local authorities produce a variety of publicity and promotional material through many forms of communication media including radio, television, digital media and print. This ranges from factual information about the services provided for the authority, designed to inform service users or attract new ones, to material necessary for the administration of the authority, such as staff recruitment advertising. There will also be publicity to explain or justify the authority’s policies and practices.
The Code of Recommended Practice for Local Authority Publicity (‘the Code’), the guidance issued to local authorities was last updated in 2014.
I am today therefore laying a revised Code before the Senedd in accordance with Section 4 of the Local Government Act 1986 and Standing Orders 27.1 to 27.13, as modified by Standing Order 27.14. The revised Code reflects more modern communication channels and recent legislation changes such as the requirements set out in the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021.