In an exclusive interview, Andy Burnham, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said he shared concerns about councils across the country producing their own "newspapers" at public expense.

"This issue is top of my in-tray at the moment," he said yesterday. "There has to be a balance and councils are overstepping that."

North Yorkshire County Council produces a 20-page monthly, the East Riding of Yorkshire Council produces a 32-page monthly and Scarborough Borough Council produces a 12-page quarterly, all designed and produced to mimic newspapers, at risk to local democracy. Mr Burnham said he intended to ask the Local Government Association, which represents 466 authorities, to join in a media summit taking place in London on April 28.

He said: "I want to use the gathering in London to put this issue on the table and to make sure that the Local Government Association is represented to be asked about the issue.

"One part of the package could be for the Local Government Association to develop a guideline."

"On the issue of local councils, it is, firstly, about what they are doing and are they encroaching? And secondly, could councils play an enabling role?

"The council issue is for councils to decide but clearly there are hard questions to be asked about whether it is appropriate for their communication or for their marketing."

He added: "There are 50 or so newspaper titles closing this year.

"It's a crying shame and a loss of local history and a local service.

"I have asked the Society of Editors to submit me a list of ways in which the government could help. Not a subsidy, that is not newspapers work and the government does not have the funds to chuck around anyway, but there might be a package to put together for the local press.

"One issue that has been raised is whether the government can increase ad spend towards papers instead of billboards or bus stops. It's a valid point."

In the interview with Evening News editor Ed Asquith, Mr Burnham added: "We are also looking at the role of the BBC as a public service broadcaster and what role it could perform.

"If the future of papers is developing audio and video, could access to the BBC help? Could the BBC help improve web offerings?"

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