HC Deb 12 March 1980 vol 980 c560W
Mr. William Hamilton

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the weekly cost of food per patient in a mental hospital; and what is the comparable figure for other hospitals.

Mr. Fairgrieve

In 1978–79, the latest year for which figures are available, the average sum spent on provisions at psychiatric hospitals was £5.61 per patient week and at all hospitals other than psychiatric £6.62 per week.

These averages conceal a wide range of costs for individual hospitals, from £4.47 to £7.49 for psychiatric hospitals and from £3.94 to £11.92 for other hospitals.