Paul Noon, Prospect general secretary, said: "Our members deliver a highly professional service against the backdrop of increasing demands for information in an era of 24/7 rolling news delivery. Against that background it is vital that not only Ministers, but more importantly the public, have confidence in the information communicated by government.

"The last review took place in 1997. Since that time the growth in the demands of the news media have been huge. At the same time, the public have voiced their increasing concerns about the presentation of information and the widespread use of media and political spin.

"We believe that the government information service has a good story to tell. The role of the service must be strengthened and clarified in order to improve public trust and confidence in the information provided by government."