§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated expenditure in 1975 of the Health Education Council; what proportion of its expenditure is devoted to information concerning the effect of smoking on health; and what is the estimated Government annual expenditure relating to the dangers of tobacco.
§ Dr. OwenThe expenditure of the Health Education Council in the current year, including the amount to be spent on the effects of smoking on health, is at present being discussed with the council. Expenditure in previous financial years was set out in my hon. Friend's reply to him on 14th March.—[Vol. 888 c263–4.] The proportion of its total campaign expenditure between 1960–70 to 1974–75 which was devoted to information on the effects of smoking was, on average, about 63 per cent. In 1974–75 this proportion was about 42 per cent. Expenditure by the Department of Health and Social Security, excluding money made available to the Health Education Council, is estimated at about£250,000 during the present year. Estimated expenditure in this field in the present 307W year by the medical and social science research councils amounts to about£34,000 and by the Scottish Health Education Unit to£174,000. The relatively small levels of expenditure incurred by other Government Departments, mainly in staff costs, are not readily ascertainable.