§ 42. Mr. Collinsasked the Minister of Health if he will state, to the latest convenient date, the average sum allowed for food per patient's diet day, in mental hospitals and mental deficiency establishments, respectively, in the area of the South-West Regional Hospital Board; and similar figures for the country as a whole.
§ Miss Hornsby-SmithAs has been previously explained to the hon. Member there is no fixed average diet allowance per patient. I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT the relevant average weekly cost of provisions per person fed in 1954–55.
§ Mr. CollinsCannot the hon. Lady give the figures now, as only two figures are asked for, and they must be available? Can she say if it is not the case that the average payment per day for patients' food is very little more than it was three or four years ago, although the cost of food has increased by about one-fifth?
§ Miss Hornsby-SmithMay I clear up one point for the hon. Member? Until two years ago the returns for feeding patients were based on cost per patient bed, and therefore included the staff feeding. Because we felt that, though necessary for computing the price of beds, that was inaccurate in relation to the cost of food per patient, the hon. Gentleman will find that about two years ago the analysis was given as cost per patient fed and therefore, though the figures look lower, in fact they are not.
§ Mr. CollinsWill not the hon. Lady give the figures for which I ask? They are available.
§ Miss Hornsby-SmithThere are four figures. For the hospitals in the South West Regional Area the figures are: mental hospitals, 16s. 9d.; mental deficiency hospitals, 15s. 9d. For all regional areas the figures are 16s. 11d. and 16s. 2d.
§ The figures are as follows:
| — | Mental hospitals | Mental deficiency hospitals | ||
| s. | d. | s. | d. | |
| South West Regional Area | 16 | 9 | 15 | 9 |
| All regional areas | 16 | 11 | 16 | 2 |