Written question asked by Paul Burstow (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 18 February 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 3 March 2005. It was answered by Melanie Johnson (Labour) on Thursday, 3 March 2005 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has spent on advertising the benefits of physical activity in each of the last seven years.

Answer: Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on advertising the benefits of physical activity in each of the last seven years. [217501] Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department and the national health service promote the benefits of physical activity in many ways to professionals, the public and other stakeholders. In particular, primary care trusts are required to have systematic and managed health promotion programmes, including action on exercise, that are responsive to local needs. In support of local delivery, we published a national quality assurance framework for exercise referral systems in 2001 and a report from the Chief Medical Officer, "At least five a week" in 2004 setting out evidence on the impact of physical activity and its relationship to health. The public health White Paper "Choosing health, making healthier choices easier" includes a commitment for a new cross-government campaign to raise awareness of the health risks of overweight and obesity, and the steps people can take through diet and physical activity to prevent obesity.

Secondary information