Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the press release, Public Health England and Drinkaware launch Drink Free Days, published on 10 September 2018, for what reason the decision was taken by Public Health England not to state clearly that Drinkaware is funded by the alcohol industry.

The content of the press release launching the Drink Free Days campaign, which is a collaboration between Public Health England and Drinkaware, focused on communicating to media the campaign’s aim and specifically its simple and pragmatic advice to the public to help them cut back on alcohol consumption by taking more drink free days. The purpose of the press release was to highlight this consumer facing campaign rather than describe the background to either organisation.