Reporting to the Charity Commission for their year up to 31st March 2012, they declared an income of £920k, over two thirds of which was consumed by salaries of £612k for 16 staff. At an average of £38,000 per annum, it would seem that being a professional bansturbator is quite a lucrative career.
But who pays for all this? Well, you taxpayers mostly do. The Department for Education chipped in £209,336, the Welsh Government £234,810, and - if you give to Comic Relief - you also helped to finance their £68,726 contribution too.
With at least 48% of Alcohol Concern's ingoings directly sourced from the taxpayer, they could arguably be termed an arms-length government body (they are often described as a 'national agency' which is unsurprising since they were formed by government in the 1980s).
In which case, these statements within their annual report would count - I humbly suggest - as a cast-iron case of government lobbying government.
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Objectives for 2012-13
In terms of our campaign and lobbying work we have two immediate priorities. Firstly is to ensure that measures in the Government's Alcohol Strategy are resourced and implemented, including a minimum price through legislation.More damning still ...
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Our remit is to change drinking culture and the way alcohol is sold and marketed by influencing Government policy.Well, that seems pretty unequivocal to me.
As a certain high profile politician once pointed out:
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said it was wrong that taxpayers' money was being spent on political lobbying.Too bloody right! It's perhaps well past time this government stopped giving our taxes to Alcohol Concern, then.
