§ Mr. GibbTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the amount spent and to be spent in(a) 1998–99 and (b) 1999–2000 on advertising individual savings account by (i) the National Savings bank, (ii) the Inland Revenue and (iii) other Government Departments and agencies. [80867]
§ Ms HewittThe amounts requested are as follows. The Inland Revenue figures relate to a general awareness campaign for ISAs which was conducted in March and April 1999. National Savings figures relate to the launch of a National Savings ISA product. No Government Department or agency other than the Inland Revenue and National Savings is involved in promoting ISAs.
£ 1998–99 1999–20003 Inland Revenue1 993,422.64 nil National Savings2 1,445,640 3,052,000 1Includes agency fees, production and research costs and the cost of purchasing space in newspapers. 2Includes space, airtime, printing and postage costs only. ISA advertising forms part of a larger National Savings rebranding campaign and it is not possible to isolate agency fees and production costs for the ISA component of the campaign with any precision. 3Estimated.