DoH considering further grant to ASH
Thursday, June 21, 2012 at 22:27 Parliamentary Question answered yesterday:
Kelvin Hopkins [Labour MP for Luton North]: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was paid by his Department to Action on Smoking and Health in 2011-12; and how much his Department has allocated in 2012-13.
Anne Milton: Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) received funding of £150,000 in 2011-12 through the Department’s ’Section 64 General Scheme of Grants to voluntary and Community Organisations’. The Grant was awarded for a project to ’Work to support delivery of the Tobacco Control Plan for England’. ASH has made an application for funding in 2012-13 for a project proposal ’Supporting the Tobacco Plan for England 2012-13’. The Department is currently considering this application.
A letter to your MP go wouldn't amiss.
Reader Comments (4)
No point. My MP is Ann Milton. Writing to her (as I have done in the past) is a waste of time, a waste of energy and a waste of ink!
And no, I didn't vote for her. As if!!
Similar comment to Misty - my MP is Andrew George who supports the smoking ban etc and is a member of the Health Committee.
@Misty
You are the person who should be writing to her, as you are her constituent she is obliged to reply.
Has Anne Milton misled Parliament?
On the 26th April 2011 Lord Naseby asked Earl Howe: "To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much public money was given to Action on Smoking and Health in 2009-10; how much was budgeted for 2010-11; and whether this will be cut in 2011-12."
The reply was: "The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) received funding of £210,000 in 2009-10 and £220,000 in 2010-11 through the department’s Section 64 General Scheme of Grants to Voluntary and Community Organisations. ASH received these grants specifically to carry out a defined project entitled Capitalising on Smokefree: the way forward.
ASH did not make a grant application to the department’s Third Sector Investment Programme: Innovation, Excellence and Service Development Fund for 2011-12. The department currently has no other plans to provide ASH with funding in the next financial year.”
On the 15th June 2011 asked by “Philip Davies (Shipley, Conservative);
To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether funding allocated to Action on Smoking and Health by his Department may be used for lobbying purposes by that body.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 15 June 2011, c874W)"
Anne Milton replied: (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Public Health), Health; Guildford, Conservative) Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) has received funding from the Department in the past, through the Department’s ‘Section 64 General Scheme of Grants to voluntary and Community Organisations’. ASH received these grants specifically to carry out defined projects. None of this funding was, or could be used, for lobbying purposes.”
Earl Howe said let me remind you said “The department currently has no other plans to provide ASH with funding in the next financial year.”
However I have received from Earl Howe on the 25th January 2012 this letter:
"At the time of Lord Howe’s statement, no decision has been made about whether to award a Section 64 grant to Action on Smoking and Health for 2011-2012. A grant of £150,000 has subsequently been awarded to ASH for work to support the delivery of some of the commitments in the Tobacco Control Plan for England, published last year.”
The letter from Earl Howe was that the £150,000 was NOT a Section 64 Charity grant, but Ms Milton is saying it is. Also the government said that no further funding was being made available.
All the Hansard links are here.
http://daveatherton.wordpress.com/2012/02/12/action-on-smoking-and-health-ash-are-still-funded-by-the-taxpayer/
You should write to Milton Misty even though her mind is closed because then there will be evidence to use against her later.
I write to her often through my MP and she is obliged to reply even though she never listens but just repeats parrot fashion her support for the smoke free ideology.
She lies too - yes - she thinks we're stupid. Despite the FOI that shows the DoH through the NHS DID fund the SFSW Plain Packaging campaign to the tune of almost £500,00, Milton still denies it and continues to deny it.
She also maintained through my MP that no decision had been taken on ASH's funding last year and continued to say this until --- errr --- awarding ASH funding last year.
She is the minister responsible for tobacco control and she has absolutely no impartiality which is why I believe that after the Govt announces the date for plain packaging - which I am sure it will because the whole consultation process has been dodgy to say the least - we must demand a public inquiry to try and unravel the corruption, waste of public money, and corporate interests that are obviously of more importance to smokerphobic Milton than her constituents.