§ 66. Mr. Dudley Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress is being made by the "Helping You to Better Health" campaign; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MoyleI assume that the hon. Member has in mind the "Look After Yourself" campaign mounted by the Health Education Council. I understand that the campaign has got off to an excellent start. The main object of the campaign, which is being financed from the additional money we have made available to the council for the years 1977–78 and 1978–79, is to encourage members of the public to adopt healthier living habits. The first phase of the campaign was launched in mid-January. It is concerned mainly with diet, exercise, and smoking and health, and hinges on television commercials and press advertisements. A special pack of pamphlets and other literature was offered to the public; 670,000 members of the public wrote in for packs, and health and local authorities and voluntary bodies have ordered over 5,000,000 items from the pack for use in connection with local activities organised in support of the campaign. Several large commercial undertakings are featuring the campaign.
The campaign will remain a central feature of the council's operational activities over the next year or so. The second phase, which began recently, represents a slight shift of emphasis from exercise to diet, using the same basic pack materials and involving further advertising on television and in other media.