§ Mr. Cyril Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to ensure that standards laid down for the cleanliness of restaurants are also 279W applied to all National Health Service hospitals.
§ Dr. OwenThe Department has asked National Health Service authorities to ensure that they maintain standards of food hygiene in hospitals equal to or better than those required by the food hygiene regulations. Authorities have been advised that they should welcome, and if necessary invite, visits of inspection by environmental health officers to their kitchens and other food handling areas.
§ Mr. Cyril Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what discussions his Department has had with environmental health officers about their report on kitchen conditions in British hospitals.
§ Dr. OwenThe findings and implications of the survey were fully discussed at a meeting between the Environmental Health Officers Association and officers of my Department and the Welsh Office in August 1975. The association expressed general satisfaction with the improvement in liaison since 1973 and confirmed that it would continue to collaborate with the Health Departments in this matter.