§ Mr. Kirkwoodasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the cost of meeting the demands of environmental health officers following the removal of Crown immunity from hospital buildings, with regard to catering and health and safety; and what extra funds over what period he will provide to health authorities to meet this cost.
§ Mr. NewtonCentral guidance has, for a number of years, indicated that health authorities are expected to establish working practices as if they were not immune from legal penalty. Complying with the requirements of sections 1 and 2 of the National Health Service (Amendment) Act 1986 should not therefore impose any new burdens on health authorities and we have no plans to allocate additional resources for these purposes.