HC Deb 05 November 1991 vol 198 cc103-5W
Mr. Dobson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has sent unsolicited direct mail as part of the distribution of publicity material.

Mr. Dorrell

The Department has used direct mail to every household to inform the public about AIDS and the NHS reforms. A summary of the patients charter will shortly be issued to each household.

Mr. Dobson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give separate figures for the spending by his Department on(a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotional material in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what are his latest estimates for 1991–92 and budgets for 1992–93.

Mr. Dorrell

Information for the years 1979–80 to 1987–88 is not available in the form requested.

The Department's budget for communications and publicity includes provision for nurse recruitment, blood donor recruitment and drug misuse campaigns. The other information is set out in the table.

£ million
Expenditure for 1988–89 is as follows
Television 1.662
Radio 0.205
Newspaper 1.196
Other Material 7.736
Expenditure for 1989–90 is as follows:
Television 3.549
Radio 0.127
Newspaper 2.258
Other Material 10.828
Expenditure for 1990–91 is as follows:
Television 1.900
Radio 0.005
Newspaper 2.739
Other Material 16.845
Estimated expenditure for 1991–92 is as follows:
Television 3.200
Radio 0
Newspaper 2.030
Other Material 18.853

The budget for communications and publicity for 1992–93 has yet to be decided.

Mr. Dobson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide an up-to-date list of each television advertising campaign carried out, or to be carried out, by his Department during 1991–92, and of each other publicity campaign costing more than £100,000, giving for each(a) the topic, (b) the commencement date, (c) the duration and (d) the advertising, promotional and public relations companies involved.

Mr. Dorrell

I refer the hon. Member to the replies that I gave him on 1 July at column54, 10 July at column 414 and 11 July at column 459. In addition to that information, other campaigns for 1991–92 costing more than £100,000 are:

Advice to elderly people —commencing shortly and will be ongoing.
The Patient's Charter —commenced October and will continue to January 1992.

The only additional major company involved is Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

Television advertising is currently being used for the nursing campaign and will be used in early 1992 for the solvent misuse campaign.

Mr. Dobson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total expenditure by his Department on press and public relations in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1991–92 and budget for 1992–93.

Mr. Dorrell

Functions that are commonly associated with press and public relations are carried out by the Department's information division. Manpower and running costs of this division are:

£million
1989–90 Expenditure 0.890
1990–91 Expenditure 1.250
1991–92 Expenditure1 1.540
1 Estimated.

Information for the years 1979–80 to 1987–88 is not available in the form requested. Budgets for 1992–93 have yet to be decided.

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