HC Deb 21 March 1990 vol 169 cc613-4W
1989. Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total publicity and advertising expenditure, including for privatisation, of his Department and public bodies for which his Department has responsibility in(a) 1979 and (b)

Firework Injuries in Great Britain
(4 week period in October-November)
Year 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985
Total 800 877 960 846 968
Place of Accident
1. Family or private party 280 300 260 286 255
2. Semi-public display (eg scouts, cricket club) 71 69 88 72 76
3. Large public display 135 123 155 119 117
4. Casual incident in street etc 247 298 364 299 435
5. Other place 46 65 73 52 64
6. Indoors 21 22 20 18 21
Type of Firework
1. Banger 136 162 163 161 241
2. Rocket 131 164 174 159 197
3. Roman candle, coloured fire etc. 89 83 96 88 90
4. Home-made or extracted powder 18 17 24 14 27
5. Other proprietary fireworks 125 86 109 118 73
6. Sparklers 83 102 95 80 67
7. Unspecified type 218 263 299 226 273
Severity of Injury
1. Fatal injury
2. Detained more than one night 46 69 60 48 53
3. Sufficient to cause absence from work or equivalent 142 167 158 160 231
4. Minor injury 551 587 661 582 632
5. Unspecified injury 61 54 81 56 52
Eye Injuries (included in 2–5) 275 269 312 291 341
Age Group of Injured Persons
1. Over 20 251 280 252 235 214

Mr. Forth

The Department does not maintain central records of expenditure of this kind by public bodies. The Department's expenditure on paid advertising and promotional materials in 1979–80 was given in an answer to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) on 13 March 1990,Official Report, columns 173–74. I expect expenditure under the Department's central publicity budget in 1989–90 to be of the order of £21 million. There was no significant expenditure on privatisation publicity by the Department in either year. Figures covering calendar years are not available.