§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the total grant allocation to the Health Education Council for each of the past four years; and what proportion of council spending has been on alerting the public as to the dangers associated with smoking and alcoholism for each year, respectively.
§ Mr. John PattenThe information requested is as follows:
Total grant allocation Anti-smoking programme Alcohol programme £ million £ million (per cent.) £ million (per cent.) 1980–81 5.0 0.7 (14) 0.2 (4) 1981–82 6.5 1.1 (17) 0.2 (3) 1982–83 8.6 2.4 (28) 0.3 (3) 1983–84 9.3 2.6 (28) 0.3 (3) Advice on smoking and excessive drinking is also contained as elements of other HEC programmes, and that expenditure is not included in the figures. For example, about one third of expenditure on the "Look After Yourself" campaign (over £200,000 in 1983–84) is directed against smoking.
§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information is available to him as to the amounts spent by tobacco and alcohol companies in advertising and promoting their products.
§ Mr. John PattenInformation about press, poster and cinema advertising expenditure for cigarette and hand-rolling tobacco is provided on a confidential basis to the Department, in accordance with the terms of appendix 2 of the present voluntary agreement on tobacco products advertising and promotion, and health warnings, a copy of which is in the Library. Information is provided under a separate agreement to my hon. Friend the Minister for Sport on the amount spent by tobacco companies on sports sponsorship.
We do not receive similar information on alcohol where problems are caused by misuse rather than use.