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Communities and Local Government acting permanent secretary, Irene Lucas, has accepted that independent civil servants at the department's press unit issued ‘politicised' statements shortly after the coalition came to power. Ms Lucas, who will shortly be replaced as permanent secretary by former Sheffield chief, Sir Bob Kerslake, issued a partial apology for the statements following a complaint by former CLG secretary of state, John Denham, who argued they resembled political briefings. In a letter responding to the former communities secretary, Ms Lucas states that, ‘with hindsight', some statements ‘should have been properly attributed as ministers' views'. In two letters to Ms Lucas, obtained by The MJ, Mr Denham grows increasingly concerned at ‘the creeping politicisation' of press statements by the CLG under the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition. Mr Denham first raised the issue in a letter dated 10 August. It followed a CLG press statement which described the Migration Impact Fund (MIF), a Labour Government cash pot designed to help local authorities deal with inward migration, as ‘ineffective'. The former secretary of state demanded access to any official CLG evaluation of the MIF from which the department had drawn such a conclusion, and reminded the permanent secretary that press officials were not empowered to make politically-laden comments. Civil service rules dictate that overtly political comments should be attributed to ministers and, in many cases, released through political parties, and not Whitehall departments. A second letter, sent by Mr Denham on 18 August, reveals further concerns about housing-related press statements which referred to ‘shocking' garden-grabbing figures, and ‘resentment' over ‘top-down' planning issues. ‘This example [of the MIF] is unfortunately not an isolated one, and what I am now raising with you is what appears to be the creeping politicisation of the press statements and releases from the CLG,' Mr Denham's second letter states. ‘I am sure we would concur on the importance of preserving the impartiality of the civil service. I can understand that changing to a new administration can pose challenges and different ways of working, but these examples demonstrate what seems to be a crossing of the line,' he warns. Ms Lucas's reply explains that government press officials are required to work closely with ministers in communicating their policy programme. But it also acknowledges: ‘This should not be seen in any way as justification for the use of politicised language or inappropriate criticism of the previous government's policies in departmental press releases and other materials.'

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WHITEHALL

Lucas apology for 'creeping politicisation' of press office

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