§ Mr. Anthony Grantasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the 643W percentage of laundry and linen services carried out for National Health Service hospitals by private contractors compared with that of National Health Service laundries as at the latest convenient date.
§ Mr. Deakins, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 13 March 1979; Vol. 964, c. 179–81], gave the following information:
Information in the form requested is not available centrally, but in 1977–78 approximately 11.6 per cent. of the total National Health Service expenditure on laundry included in the annual accounts of health authorities in England was in respect of laundry carried out by private contractors. I am not aware of any linen services being carried out for National Health Service hospitals by private contractors.
§ Mr. Anthony Grantasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state the value of linen and clothing lost in National Health Service hospitals, and their laundries from theft, fire, flood or other causes, respectively, for the years 1976, 1977 and 1978.
§ Mr. Deakins, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 13 March 1979; Vol. 964, c. 179–181], gave the following information:
I regret that information in the form requested is not available centrally. The statements of losses rendered annually by health authorities with their accounts do not separately identify losses of linen and clothing and the cost of obtaining this information would be disproportionate.