I regret that the following written answers contained information which was incorrect:

the written answer given to Ann Coffey on 23 June 2009;

the written answer given to Mr. Stephen O’Brien on 21 April 2009, Official Report, column 587W;

the written answer given to Mr. Don Foster on 5 November 2008, Official Report, column 521W;

the written answer given to Sir Nicholas Winterton on 4 November 2008, Official Report, column 378W;

the written answer given to Mr. Mike Penning in 22 October 2008, Official Report, column 270W;

the written answer given to Sir Peter Soulsby on 15 July 2008, Official Report, column 359W;

the written answer given to Mr. Mark Hoban on 3 April 2008, Official Report, column 288 W;

the written answer given to Mr. David Simpson on 25 February 2008, Official, Report column 1196W;

the written answer given to Mr. Norman Lamb on 5 February 2008, Official Report, column 1071W;

the written answer given to Sandra Gidley on 25 January 2008, Official Report, column 17MC;

the written answer given to Mr. Mark Simmonds on 3 December 2007, Official Report, column 1002W;

the written answer given to Sandra Gidley on 19 July 2007, Official Report, column 641W;

the written answer given to Mrs. Theresa May on 25 June 2007, Official Report, column 23 8W;

the written answer given to Mr. Lansley on 4 June 2007, Official Report, column 302W;

the written answer given to Mr. Mike Penning on 17 April 2007, Official Report, column 576W;

the written answer given to Mr. Lansley on 15 January 2007, Official Report, column 908W;

the written answer given to Mr. Swire on 6 December 2006, Official Report, column 568W;

the written answer given to Mr. Lansley on 8 November 2006, Official Report, column 1871W;

the written answer given to Mr. Hayes on 19 July 2006, Official Report, column 507W;

the written answer given to Justine Greening on 5 June 2006, Official Report, column 382W;

the written answer given to Mr. David T.C. Davies on 28 March 2006, Official Report, column 947W;

the written answer given to Mr. Weir on 28 March 2006, Official Report, column 947W;

the written answer given to Anne Milton on 20 March 2006, Official Report, column 138W;

the written answer given to Mr. Andrew Turner on 7 July 2005, Official Report, column 570W;

the written answer given to Mr. Burstow on 7 July 2005, Official Report, column 576W;

These answers all related to Department of Health advertising spend between 2004-05 and 2008-09. The incorrect information was a result of some non-advertising expenditure being included within the figures. There was also evidence that provisional figures rather than the final discounted totals had been used. In order to prevent this issue from recurring, improvements have been made in record keeping and processes in answering PQs on advertising spend.

The following table shows the correct departmental advertising expenditure over the last five completed financial years. A further breakdown of these figures has been placed in the Library.