§ Mrs. Dunwoodyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many area health authorities used private contractors for (a) domestic cleaning and (b) catering in 1980–81 and 1981–82; and what percentage of total domestic cleaning and catering in 1981–82 this represented.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe number of area health authorities that used private contractors to some extent is as follows:
1980–81 1981–82* (a) Domestic cleaning 90 88 (b) Catering 23 24 * Provisional figures.
Provisional figures for the financial year 1981–82 from all health authorities indicate that contracts with private companies for domestic cleaning and catering accounted for 2.09 per cent. and 0.22 per cent. of the revenue expenditure respectively.
§ Mrs. Dunwoodyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of laundering in the National Health Service was done under private contract in 1981–82; and in how many area health authorities private laundering was used in each of the last three financial years.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergProvisional figures for the financial year 1981–82 indicate that contracts with private companies accounted for 11.7 per cent. of the revenue expenditure on laundering by health authorities in England.
The number of area health authorities that used private contractors for laundering to some extent is as follows:
Number 1979–80 88 1980–81 84 1981–82 *84 * Provisional figures.