§ Mr. Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the full text of all letters sent recently to health boards in Scotland instructing them to reduce their expenditure by 5 per cent.
§ Mr. John MacKayI wrote on 3 July to the chairmen of the five health boards which have been reluctant to test the cost effectiveness of their support services by seeking competitive tenders, requesting them to achieve by the end of the current financial year cash savings on their catering, domestic and laundry services equivalent to at least 5 per cent. of their expenditure on these services in 1984–85. These savings will remain available to the boards for their services to patients. I have placed copies of my letters in the Library.