§ Mr. Shersbyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the daily per capita financial allowance for food for patients in hospital; when this allowance was fixed; and when it will be reviewed.
§ Mr. MoyleThere is no centrally determined allowance for catering for patients in NHS hospitals; it is for health authorities to decide within their overall cash limits how much should be spent on this. My Department does, however, recommend levels of expenditure in a form which authorities can revalue monthly by reference to changes in the cost of relevant items, and on request we supply the current revalued figures. The recommended weekly levels of expenditure in March 1978, as revalued, were as follows:
£ Acute patients— Upper limit 6.22 Lower limit 5.75 Geriatric patients 5.75 Psychiatric and mentally handicapped patients 5.60