Millions well spent?
Wednesday, October 31, 2007 
The following question received a written answer in the House of Commons on Monday (October 29).
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's budget is for mass media anti-smoking campaigns in the 2007-08 financial year;
and what the budget will be in each of the financial years to 2011-12.
Dawn Primarolo: The Department’s campaign advertising budget for smoking campaigns for 2007-08 financial year is £11.39 million. This figure does not include campaign advertising expenditure to support the introduction of smokefree legislation or the increase of the age of sale of tobacco products this year. Figures for spend for each of the financial years to 2011-12 cannot be provided at this stage as budgets have not been finalised.
Simon Clark
A little bird tells me that the Scottish Government is to undertake a review of ASH Scotland, "standard practice for voluntary organisations receiving more than £100k pa funding".
Reader Comments (3)
Of course all this money is far better spent on anti smoking campaigns than the NHS or the homeless or anywhere else where it would be far more beneficial, since when did this government spend money on anything beneficial?
All this Government are interested in is to con voters into believing they are doing something. What the voters don't realise is that the Government wants to kill off as many people as they can to prevent voters realise they have totally b**ls everything up.
If smoking is on the decrease as they claim but deaths from smoking related illnesses are increasing - then HOW!!!
What has increased is transport and central heating which can cause more deaths than any smoking. I would sooner spend 3 hours in a totally enclosed garage with 30 people chain smoking than 15 minutes in the same enclosed space with a car engine running. Perhaps ASH haven't grasped any of these points in their 'sod you all' attitude.
I'm pleased to hear about the smoking terrace in Boisdale in Belgravia, it will encourage me to reconsider travelling to the UK again as since the smoking ban the UK was on my hit list of places not to be visited. The only pubs and restaurants in Ireland doing good business are the ones with some form of smoking facility,the ones with good ones are always packed. I think Dave Cameron is an ejit with his scaremongering about global warning which is another con to get more taxes out of people and to get himself votes from the brain washed head bangers and anti smoking brigade.