The above hoarding would appear to have been commissioned by NHS Smokefree South West and the order placed with this company, who don't look like they're averse to issuing the odd eye-watering invoice.
On top of the design fees, as far as I can ascertain, this space would cost around £200 per week and, of course, we don't know how many of them there are dotted around, or for how long. Add on printing costs and beer money for the bill posters and we're talking a pretty penny being spent from your taxes, I reckon.
All this, remember, purely and simply to lobby the government on a public consultation which has yet to be published!
Back in August 2010, Eric Pickles had this to say on such activity.
Government agencies and councils in England that spend public money on lobbying ministers face a crackdown.He was quite right, especially when he referred to it as "the wasteful practice of government lobbying government", which this most definitely is.
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said it was wrong that taxpayers' money was being spent on political lobbying.
Not 'cracking down' very hard, are you Eric? They're taking the right royal piss out of you.
