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Dept of Health

Answer

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on advertising the dangers of (a) smoking, (b) poor diet and (c) alcohol in each year since 1997. [219678] Miss Melanie Johnson: The Health Education Authority ran the public education campaign on the dangers of smoking prior to 1999-2000. The tobacco control campaign run by the Department was launched in December 1999. The following table shows advertising expenditure on the dangers of smoking from 1999-2000 to date. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. £ million Financial year Tobacco control 1999-2000 6.18 2000-01 8.97 2001-02 7.79 2002-03 7.87 2003-04 17.76 2004-051 25.00 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1 Estimated figure. In my response to a question from the hon. Member on 3 November 2004, Official Report, column 324-25W, advertising expenditure on the dangers of smoking from 1999-2000 to date, the amount for 2003-04 was incorrectly listed as £19.36 million. The correct figure for 2003-04 is £17.76 million. The Department does not advertise the dangers of poor diet. However, the Department promotes the positive benefits of a healthy diet through a range of on- going activities such as the five-a-day programme, including the school fruit and vegetable scheme, promotion of food in schools as well as promoting breastfeeding among the disadvantaged groups. The following table shows expenditure on promoting healthy diet from 1998 to 2005. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. £ million Financial year Expenditure 1998-99 0.37 1999-2000 1.26 2000-01 1.62 2001-02 1.74 2002-03 1.14 2003-04 3.24 2004-05 4.31 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. There has been no advertising campaign by the Department specifically on the dangers of excessive drinking in the last seven years. The Department has funded, through its central communications budget, the production of a number of booklets or leaflets advising the public on sensible drinking. Expenditure for these is shown in the following table. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. £ Expenditure 2002-03 96,764 2003-04 44,591 2004-051 39,954 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1 Up to and including quarter three. Additionally, the Department funds the Drinkline helpline and a dedicated website. It is not possible to provide a separate cost for the operation of the helpline, Drinkline, as this is provided as part of a contract covering FRANK (drugs), Sexual Health Line, Drinkline and Know The Score, the Scottish helpline on drugs. These services have been provided under one contract and one operational model, for purposes of cost efficiency. The approximate cost of operating the four services in 2004-05 is £1.8 million including VAT, or £1.5 million excluding VAT.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

432 c513-5W; 219678

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Alcoholic drinks Diets Expenditure Health hazards Health education Leaflets Publicity Misuse Nutrition Smoking

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk