Health drive money cut

Spending on health campaigns have hit a record low, figures reveal.

It means progress beating ailments caused by smoking and obesity could be under threat.

The amount of money spent on public information campaigns has fallen by two-thirds since 2010 to just over £1 million.

Since 2004, spending generally remained about £3m a year, but by 2016 the costs had fallen below £2m for the first time, followed by a further fall of £500,000 last year.

Gregor McNie, Cancer Research UK’s head of external affairs in Scotland, said: “Public awareness campaigns are important and do work. It’s concerning.”