Total Spend on Communications and Public Relations (2020-2023) - Find a freedom of information request

Request

Please provide your total spend on communications and public relations for the last three financial year's (2020/2021,2021/2022,2022/2023). For each year I would like a breakdown containing the following information:

  • Spend on communications and public relations activities.
  • Total number of communications and public relations employees.
  • Total salary cost for all communications and public relations employees
Decision

I can confirm that the information requested is held by Lincolnshire County Council. I have detailed below the information that is being released to you.

1) Promotion of Services

2021/22: from an allocated budget of £260,890, a total of £135,507.63 was spent.

2022/23: from an allocated budget of £186,893, a total of £80,468 was spent.

Expenditure in this area covers a wide variety of services and projects – some examples include website development and maintenance/renewal, specific projects like communication and translations for recycling stream roll-out in Boston, fire and rescue fire alerters and radio communications, LCC enrolment forms, learner handbooks, renewal of management systems for adult learning, etc.

County News – cost to produce and distribute.

2021/22: a total of £186,627.22 was spent on three editions per year.

2022/23: a total of £223,093.11 was spent on three editions per year.

County News is produced three times a year and distributed to 360,000 homes and businesses throughout the county (equates to less than 19 pence per copy). It provides residents and businesses in all areas of our county with important information about council services and support. The reason for the increase in cost from 2021/22 to 2022/23 was due mainly to an increase in the cost of paper.

2)

Full Time Equivalent's (FTE) working in the Communications Team FTE data based on the budgeted full staffing numbers (establishment) of the complete year (regardless of whether any vacancies were held during the year)
In 2020/2021 it was 16.80 FTE's
In 2021/2022 it was 16.60 FTE's
In 2022/2023 it was 17.41 FTE's

3)

Total Salary Costs for all Communications and Public relations employees Actual Salary costs are shown for the council's communications team (any vacancies reduce overall costs) who cover a range of activities, including corporate and strategic communications for all service areas, internal staff and member communications, publications such as three yearly issues of County News and many others, events and meeting co-ordination for all service areas plus key yearly presence at the Lincolnshire Show, digital communications (website overview and social media), photography and video production, and print and design overview.
In 2020/2021 it was £721.185
In 2021/2022 it was £708,525
In 2022/2023 it was £795,421

 

Reference number
9125889
Date request received
6 March 2024
Date of decision
16 April 2024