Council newspapers face OFT inquiry

According to the Newspaper Society, Digital Economy Minister Stephen Timms (pictured) has arranged for an urgent meeting between the Society and Local Government Minister Rosie Winterton over the issue of council newspapers competing with the local press and is looking into referring the matter to the Office of Fair Trading.
The Local Government Chronicle last week reported that “the Office of Fair Trading is poised to investigate local newspaper publishers’ claims that they endure unfair competition from council publications, many of which now carry private advertising.”