HC Deb 12 February 1981 vol 998 cc410-1W
Miss Richardson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will provide the information given in paragraphs 5 and 9 of appendix 1 of Cmnd. 8106 broken down as between mothers in paid employment and mothers not in paid employment.

Mrs. Chalker

The information requested is as follows:

Paragraph 5—use of Child Benefit
Per cent. In full or
In full or part-time work Not working All mothers
I use it as part of my weekly house-keeping 38 55 47
I save it up to pay for bills and special purchases 58 44 51
Don't know 4 1 2

Note: The differences between mothers in full or part-time work and those not working are considered to be significant at the 95 per cent, confidence level.

advertising, his Department has studied the decrease in the number of smokers in Norway following its advertising ban on cigarettes in 1975; and if he will make a statement.

Sir George Young

Smoking trends in Norway have been closely studied by the Department in an attempt to assess the effects of the Norwegian Tobacco Act 1973 which, among other things, provided for the ban on tobacco advertising introduced in 1975. The available data suggest that the percentage of daily smokers amongst men and young people has tended to fall since the early 1970s, whilst the previously increased trend amongst women appears to have levelled off. It will be some time before longer-term trends become apparent and it will always be difficult to distinguish the effect of the advertising ban from other factors, in particular, complementary action taken by the Norwegian Government to reduce smoking.