ALL our councils devote a portion of their budgets to public relations exercises and most employ full time staff to carry out the work.

Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Pendle and Rossendale said they wanted to keep residents informed about their services and tell people what was going on.

To put this to the test, the Lancashire Evening Telegraph asked them, and Lancashire County Council, how much they were spending on public relations every year and what they money was being spent on.

Blackburn with Darwen chief executive Phil Watson said "on the whole" he preferred people to know what was going on. He said the borough devoted 0.17 per cent of £173.8 million; Burnley said it spent 0.46 per cent of its annual budget and employed six staff; while Hyndburn's PR budget was 0.06 per cent of its total annual spending.

Responses from the remaining councils were a little clearer. Pendle said it allocated £80,000; Lancashire County Council spends £750,000 annually, which it said was not enough; and Ribble Valley had a £17,000 budget.

Rossendale Council said it did not know how much money it spent on PR but employed one part-time spokesman.

All the various departments produce council newspapers, newsletters and leaflets which, they argue, help keep residents informed about what is going on and how their money is being spent.

Councillor Colin Rigby, whose comments about Blackburn with Darwen Council sparked the debate, said the money devoted to PR could be better spent elsewhere. That view was backed up by Councillor Fred Slater, who is also the president of Darwen Conservative Association. Coun Slater said he wanted to see the council's newspaper, The Shuttle, scrapped. "The Shuttle newspaper is doing nothing except giving the ruling Labour group a pat on the back," he said.

"It does not give a voice to any of the other political parties. We said if we get into power we will scrap it. It is a waste of council taxpayers' money and it must have a considerable cost."

However, Phil Watson, chief executive of Blackburn with Darwen is convinced of the need for an effective PR operation, but would not divulge information about his communications operation without a promise that a full statement would be published. He said: "The Council spends 0.17% of its overall £173.8 million budget or 22.8p per head of population per year on communications and information -- this figure includes staff salaries and is comparable with other single tier authorities in the North West.

"Funds are allocated for direct communications with citizens and its 6,500 staff. This includes 10 editions of the Shuttle newspaper and 18 separate neighbourhood newsletters delivered directly to each of the borough's 55,000 households per year, as well as developing on-line communications and information.

"Ten internal staff newsletters and an intranet site are also funded. Six staff are currently employed in the communications unit. Their role is to communicate and engage citizens in Council business with only approximately one eighth of their time spent dealing with a wide range of press and media organisations.

"A recent survey carried out by the national professional publication PR Week, highlighted Blackburn with Darwen as providing a quality service on a low budget compared with other, similar sized, unitary authorities.

"A review of strategy and communications by the Audit Commission awarded an unprecedented three stars to the Blackburn with Darwen Communications service for its work and commented on the quality of publications and information provided to the public. The excellent CPA rating from the Audit Commission also commented on the quality of communications with citizens."

But Chris Thayne, a Liberal Democrat councillor for Blackburn with Darwen, was not not so sure. He said he had recently been misquoted in a recent press release written by a town hall communications officer and now questioned whether council staff should be representing politicians' views.

He added: "It made me feel that one needs to make sure what is delivered from the council is the council's view and not that of a political group from within the council.

"Council officers should represent the views and policy of the council and not individual members."

Kevin Wilson, secretary of Local Government Communications, which represents council communicators nationally, said: "The public relations office is really there to communicate the policies of the council and make then understood and accepted, or not, by people and to generate discussion and raise awareness about services.

"They are in the front line dealing with an awful lot of inquiries, often quite difficult and complicated ones, so occasionally mistakes will be made and people will be dissatisfied with the outcome."