Live discussion: the impact of communications cuts

Jenny Grey, the outgoing head of the Government Communication Network, is leaving for her private sector PR job at Citigroup at a turning point for communications professionals. It will be left to Godric Smith, fresh from the Olympic Delivery Authority, to co-ordinate an ambitious new Whitehall PR plan and a budgetary increase of 70% to £285m. It was a different story in 2010. £20m was shaved off the - now defunct - Central Office of Information's (COI) £41m budget for PR and news management and another £20m deducted from Whitehall PR budgets. Only campaigns deemed 'essential' were left untouched in the cull implemented as part of the Treasury's £6.25bn cuts to public sector spending. Agencies were hardest hit, cut by 95% in the past five years, and up to 1,000 staff were made redundant. The new plan overseen by the Government Communications Centre, is innovative but very ambitious, says the former director of communications at the Audit Commission, David Walker. "It wants to toughen up the regime introduced in April grouping comms work into seven hubs in which, for example, the Department of Work and Pensions and HM Revenue & Customs, with their arm's length bodies, share common PR and marketing services . Unfortunately, the hubs exist only on paper and the plan ruefully notes that 'staff resource is still largely deployed in silo fashion', he said. Carol Fisher, a former COI chief executive in 2002, went further to attack the plan as "clearly not (having) been considered properly", and accused it of being uniformative about its resources. "COI total spend numbers included all staff and building costs. Do the new ones? Are all PR and news management costs shown? I doubt it very much. Also, where are the total costs for redundancy of the vast majority of COI staff and empty offices?", she said. What do you think? * What is the lasting impact of the cuts on government communications professionals? * Are you seeing any practical differences yet? If so, what are they? * Will the new plan be effective? * Has the disbandment of the COI left a black hole or opened up opportunities? You can leave your views and questions in the comments section below, or join the discussion live from noon until 2pm on Thursday 20 September. To join our experts on the panel, email [email protected] Expert panel David Watson is senior campaigns manager at No. 10, Downing Street David Walker is contributing editor to the Public Leaders Network and the former director of communications at the Audit Commission @exauditor77 Emer Coleman is deputy director of digital engagement at the Government Digital Service (GDS) at the Cabinet Office @emercoleman Eleri Roberts is head of external communications at Essex county council and vice chair of LG communications @Eleri_R This article is published by Guardian Professional . Join the Guardian Public Leaders Network free to receive regular emails on the issues at the top of the professional agenda.