§ Mr. Richard Shepherdasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total sum expended by his Department on propaganda related to the dangers of smoking and excessive drinking, respectively, in the most recent annual period for which figures are available.
§ Sir George YoungThe Department looks to the Health Education Council to conduct health education at national level. From the funds which the Department provided in 1978–79, the council spent £325,000 and £190,000 respectively on publicity campaigns specifically designed to keep the dangers of smoking and the misuse of alcohol before the public. In addition, the council spent £928,000 on its " Better Health Campaign "; this includes references to smoking and drinking, though they cannot be directly costed.
737WThe Department itself spent about £160,000 in 1978–79 on producing and distributing the tables which inform the public about the tar and nicotine yields of most brands of cigarettes on sale. It also made a grant of £60,000 to Action on Smoking and Health—ASH; and a broadly similar grant to the National Council on Alcoholism.
In addition, area health authorities and local authority education departments made a significant contribution out of public funds to health education about smoking and drinking, but the amounts involved are not identifiable.
NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE MANPOWER ENGLAND AS AT 30 SEPTEMBER EACH YEAR WHOLE-TIME EQUIVALENTS† ADMINISTRATIVE AND CLERICAL* 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 77,108 82,758 91,865 98,507 99,036 N/A MEDICAL STAFF IN THE NHS† 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 49,898 50,825 52,446 53,741 54,970 56,125 *Includes support staff managers, but excludes ambulance officers. " Administrators " cannot be distinguished within the general category of administrative and clerical staff as there is no agreed definition of " administrator " which could be used for this purpose. †Includes the whole-time equivalent of all hospital and community health service medical staff excepting doctors holding appointments as hospital practitioners or under paragraphs 89 and 94 of the terms of conditions of service, or occasional sessional appointments in the community health service. The figure also includes the number of General Medical Practitioners relating to 1st October some of whom also held part-time appointments in the hospital and community health service; as such effort is already included there is an element of duplication.