§ Mr. Burtasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to improve public awareness of the link between heart disease and smoking; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. John PattenThe Government-funded Health Education Council is very active in alerting the public to the health hazards of smoking, including the increased risk of coronary heart disease, through its smoking education programme. The Council's booklet "Beating Heart Disease" specifically advises on the dangers of smoking in relation to heart disease. Earlier this year the Government gave the HEC an extra £500,000 to spend on anti-smoking campaigns. We also recently sent a leaflet to schools throughout the country which, among other things, draws attention to the connection between smoking and heart disease and Ministers regularly warn about the risk of smoking in speeches and on other occasions.