HC Deb 02 June 1992 vol 208 cc406-7W
Mr. Dobson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 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 up to and including 1991–92; and what is his latest estimate for 1992–93.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

Figures for expenditure on newspaper and television advertising from 1979–80 to 1983–84 were given in answer to a question from the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) on 25 May 1984, at column587 and those for 1984–85 were given in answer to another question from the hon. Member for Newham, North-West on 19 December 1985, at column 275.

Figures for radio advertising and other promotional literature for the years from 1979–80 to 1984–85 were given in answer to questions from the hon. Member on 19 November 1986, at columns 202–4 and the hon. Member was also given in those replies figures for expenditure on newspaper, television and radio advertising and other promotional literature for 1985–86.

Figures for the years 1986–87 to 1990–91, provisional, for total advertising expenditure—all media—and production and distribution of other promotional material were given in answer to a question from the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras on 12 March 1990 at columns 23–24.

Apart from the final year, 1990–91, it would not be possible to provide more detailed information for those years except at disproportionate cost as stated in a previous answer to a question from the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras on 25 April 1991 at columns 535–36.

Expenditure figures for the years 1990–91, 1991–92 and estimates for 1992–93 are as follows:

1990–91 (expenditure) 000's 1991–92 (expenditure) 000's 1992–93 (estimate) 000's
TV advertising 2,024 3,000 4,000
Radio advertising 109 117 196
Newspaper advertising 3,595 2,225 1,380
Prodution and distribution of other promotional material (including poster advertising) 6,750 6,976 8,630

I trust that the hon. Member will recognise that this expenditure is incurred on public information schemes of the kind that are undertaken by any Government Department and do not in any way involve party political campaigning.