It’s getting on for two years since the government launched its crackdown on local authority newspapers. Communities secretary Eric Pickles declared war on what he famously described as ‘town hall Pravdas’ wasting taxpayers’ money and time.Lately, however, ministers have stopped beating that drum - hardly surprising when Whitehall departments continue to produce their own publications.

The Ministry of Justice has revealed in a Freedom of Information request that its Insight magazine, distributed 10 times a year to a justice building near you, costs annually £105,900 to put out. That includes £18,000 on production costs, £40,000 on distribution and £47,900 on editorial costs.

Around 13,000 copies are sent to 700 addresses, although some recipients have recently reduced their allocation. The MoJ insists that recent reader surveys support the retention of the magazine format and an online version is in the pipeline.

If you see a copy, what do you think? A must-read, or the fall-back option for a trip to the lav? Email your thoughts to Obiter.