HC Deb 12 May 1983 vol 42 cc491-4W
Dr. M. S. Miller

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how much was spent by his Department on publicity campaigns relating to health care in 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82 and 1982–83, respectively; how much has been spent and how much is budgeted for the current year; and what percentage the publicity expenditure on health care campaigns represented of total expenditure by his Department;

(2) if he will give details of each of the health care publicity campaigns undertaken by his Department in 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82 and 1982–83; how much was spent on each and is budgeted for each in the current financial year; and what percentage of the total publicity expenditure each of those campaigns represented in each of the years concerned;

(3) if he will break down the publicity expenditure by his Department on each of the health care campaigns undertaken in 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83 and 1983–84, indicating how much has been allocated to posters, radio and television advertising, newspaper advertising, magazine advertising, leaflets and circulars to relevant authorities; and what percentage each represents of the total publicity expenditure for each of the campaigns;

(4) whether he will set out in the Official Report the total expenditure for all the publicity campaigns relating to the social security benefits which his Department makes available for each of the financial years 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82 and 1982–83; how much has been spent in the

Year and campaigns Press advertising Media and costs TV and radio advertising Leaflets an posters Total expenditure
£ £ £ £
1979–80: Total DHSS Expenditure 26.9 billion
1.German measles vaccination 154,000 13,000 167,000
2.Overseas travel and health 65,000 *60,000 125,000
3.NHS charges and exemptions 96,000 *66,000 184,000
4.Free milk and vitamins 22,000
All Health Care publicity 476,000
As a percentage of DHSS total 0.0018 per cent.
5.Family income supplement 125,000 169,000 3,000 297,000
6.Mobility allowance 159,000 2,000 161,000
7.Miscellaneous social security †628,000 623,000

financial year 1983–84; how much is budgeted for the current year; and what percentage the publicity expenditure on the social security benefit campaigns represented of total expenditure by his Department in each year;

(5) whether he will set out in the Official Report details of each of the social security benefits publicity campaigns undertaken by his Department for each of the financial years 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82 and 1982–83, including details of expenditure; how much has been spent for each in the financial year 1983–84; how much is budgeted for each in the current financial year; and what percentage of the total publicity expenditure each of those campaigns represented in each of the years concerned;

(6) how much was allocated in each social security benefit publicity campaign in the financial years 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83 and 1983–84 to posters, radio and television advertising, newspaper advertising, magazine advertising, leaflets, and circulars to relevant authorities; and what percentage each represents of the total publicity expenditure for each of the campaigns.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

The amounts spent or budgeted on publicity related to health care and social security benefits for the financial years 1979–80 to 1983–84 inclusive are shown in the table. The table also shows the total amounts spent on health care and social security benefits publicity as percentages of total DHSS expenditure for each year.

The health care publicity figures do not include expenditure by the Health Education Council, which is the official body responsible for most publicity of this sort. Nor do the figures include expenditure on other DHSS health-related publicity, for example on blood or organ donor recruitment or nursing careers.

The social security figures do not include expenditure on national insurance contributions-related advertising. However, it would be disproportionately expensive to analyse the production costs of the hundreds of leaflets produced over the five-year period to extract those related to particular benefit publicity campaigns. The figures shown in the table at 7, 13, 21, 31 and 39 are therefore the approximate total amounts spent on the production of all social security leaflets, covering both benefits and contributions, and often including forms. Poster costs are also included in these figures, but would never exceed 10 per cent. of the amount shown.

Official circulars are not considered to be publicity and costs are not readily obtainable.

Year and campaigns Press advertising Media and costs TV and radio advertising Leaflets an posters Total expenditure
£ £ £ £
All Benefits publicity 1,086,000
As a percentage of DHSS total 0.0040 per cent.
1980–81: Total DHSS Expenditure 33.1 billion
8. Overseas travel and health *70,000 70,000
9. NHS charges and exemptions 37,000 *79,000 116,000
10. Free milk and vitamins
11. Ethnic minority health education ‡26,000 26,000
All Health Care publicity 212,000
As a percentage of DHSS total 0.0006 per cent.
12. Family income supplement 153,000 180,000 3,000 336,000
13. Miscellaneous social security †736,000 736,000
All Benefits publicity 1,072,000
As a percentage of DHSS total 0.0032 per cent.
1981–82: Total DHSS Expenditure 39.4 billion
14. Overseas travel and health *40,000 40,000
15. NHS charges and exemptions *87,000 87,000
16. Free milk and vitamins
17. Ethnic minority health education ‡4,000 4,000
All Health Care publicity 131,000
As a percentage of DHSS total 0.0003 per cent.
18. Family income supplement 174,000 294,000 14,000 482,000
19. Help for handicapped people 14,000 14,000
20. Emergency—civil service strike 222,000 1,000 15,000 238,000
21. Miscellaneous social security ‡832,0O0 832,000
All Benefits publicity 1,566,000
As a percentage of DHSS total 0.0040 per cent.
1982–83: Total DHSS Expenditure 44.3 billion
22. Whooping cough vaccination 105,000 123,000 228,000
23. Overseas travel and health 77,000 24,000 *200,000 301,000
24. NHS charges and exemptions * 103,000 103,000
25. Free milk and vitamins
26. Ethnic minority health education ‡4,000 4,000
27. Solvent abuse prevention (estimate) ‡50,000 50,000
All Health Care publicity 686,000
As a percentage of DHSS total 0.0016 per cent.
28. Family income supplement 218,000 286,000 2,000 506,000
29. Housing benefits 293,000 See 31 293,000
30. Statutory sick pay 155,000 314,000 See 31 469,000
31. Miscellaneous social security †1,376,000 1,376,000
All Benefits publicity 2,644,000
As a percentage of DHSS total 0.0060 per cent.
1983–84: Projected DHSS Expenditure 46.9 billion
32. Overseas travel and health 15,000 100,000 115,000
33. NHS charges and exemptions 100,000 100,000
34. Free milk and vitamins
35. Ethnic minority health education ‡40,000 10,000 50,000
36. Solvent abuse prevention ‡5,000 5,000 10,000
All Health Care publicity (Budget) 275,000
As a percentage of DHSS total 0.0006 per cent.
37. Statutory sick pay (estimate) 141,000 344,000 See 39 485,000
38. Family income supplement 546,000 See 39 546,000
39. Miscellaneous social security 317,000 †1,185,000 1,502,000
All Benefits publicity (Budget) 2,533,000
As a percentage of DHSS total 0.0054 per cent.
* Actual costs not available in detail. Estimated total costs shown.
† Approximate total cost for all social security leaflets, including those for campaigns intemised individually in the table, and for posters.
‡ Film or video.