HC Deb 11 April 1983 vol 40 c541
13. Mr. Coleman

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what advice he has given to district health authorities in Wales to effect the privatisation of services in the National Health Service in Wales.

Mr. Wyn Roberts

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Flint, West (Sir A. Meyer) on 18 February.

Mr. Coleman

What response has the Minister had from health authorities to his advice? Have the problems that will arise where the requirements of diets have to be met been raised with him? Is the hon. Gentleman aware that in the past private laundries have refused to undertake the laundering of soiled linen and clothing, especially from mental hospitals? If the Minister is concerned about cost effectiveness and economies, might he not do better to consider whether they could be made within NHS facilities?

Mr. Roberts

There is nothing new about private contracting in the NHS, in Wales or elsewhere. Private contractors are used extensively. We are determining whether certain types of work within the NHS can be done less expensively by private contractors, with the resultant savings. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will agree that where savings can be made by private contracting, that means that more money will be available for direct patient care.

Mr. D. E. Thomas

Will the Minister address himself to the question about the response from district health authorities in Wales? How many have agreed and how many have disagreed?

Mr. Roberts

We issued the circular to health authorities only very recently. We asked them to test the cost effectiveness of their domestic catering and laundry services by comparing them with tenders obtained from commercial contractors. We have not had an extensive response as yet, but I am meeting chairmen of health authorities next month, when the subject will undoubtedly be on the agenda.

Sir Anthony Meyer

Despite the objections put forward by the hon. Member for Neath (Mr. Coleman), will my hon. Friend continue down this road, which holds out the promise of concentrating public resources on health care and saving very large sums of money on ancillary services?

Mr. Roberts

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The entire object of the exercise is to provide services at less cost to the NHS and to apply the resultant savings to patient care.