Letter - Public sector gives agencies a chance..

We provide all our agencies with full, constructive feedback following a pitch, and devote a great deal of time to helping them reach the required standard. All agencies are evaluated against a comprehensive range of measures, with criteria including creativity, audience targeting and value for money.

If any agency is unsuccessful, it's because it hasn't fulfilled this criteria convincingly.

I also strongly refute the claim that COI is unwilling to work with 'different agencies'. Some agencies with no previous government experience have now worked on several campaigns. Public sector PR business might be quite a tough nut to crack, but agencies with the right skills are certainly capable of doing so.

Pauline Hughes, head of PR, Central Office of Information.