|
By Arun Sudhaman
LONDON: A £1 million campaign to promote milk consumption among school
children has been shelved at the last minute because of the UK
Government’s well-publicised spending cuts.
The initiative aimed to inform and educate primary and secondary
school children about the health benefits of milk and milk products. The
campaign was overseen by the UK’s Agricultural and Horticultural
Development Board (ADHB), under which sits the DairyCo division.
Agencies on the AHDB’s consumer and education rosters, revealed last month by the Holmes Report, were
asked to pitch for the business. However, the tender was shelved just
days before presentations were due.
“The campaign was cancelled as a result of the current fiscal
environment and the Government’s freeze on advertising and marketing
spend, which is one part of the now well-publicised cuts in public
spending,” said AHDB deputy CEO Richard Lowe.
While most AHDB campaigns are funded through industry levies, it is
understood that the budget for this particular programme was being drawn
from public sector bodies – including DEFRA, the Department of Health
and the DCSF.
“We have no expectation that future campaigns funded by levy money
will be affected,” added Lowe.
When asked whether he was concerned that Government spending cuts
were affecting campaigns that could improve children’s health, Lowe said
“this is a matter for Government to comment on rather than the AHDB.”
An agency source involved in the review said the decision was “really
regrettable but consistent with what the Government has been saying.”
The UK Government has begun implementing plans to slash public
spending, including health-related campaigns that are not considered
immediate problems. New Prime Minister David Cameron is understood to be
opposed to “nanny state campaigns” and instead favours “nudge theory”,
an economic approach that attempts to change behaviour through peer
pressure.
|
Click for Advanced Search 
