§ Mr. Lambieasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report a list of the studies undertaken, either within the Scottish Office or by external consultants, of the relative costs of in-house and contracted-out ancillary services in the National Health Service before the issuing of his recent circular to health boards and if he will place copies of such studies in the Library.
§ Mr. YoungerThe draft circular on which we have sought the comments of a wide range of organisations proposes that health boards should undertake or commission studies to test the cost-efficiency of their in-house services. They can do so by seeking tenders from within their own organisations and from private contractors for services like cleaning, laundry and catering and where appropriate by letting contracts to private companies. I have made clear that sums saved by such contracts will be available to improve services to NHS patients.