NHS (Private Contracts)

HC Deb 11 June 1986 vol 99 cc202-3W

Mr. Dewar

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) laundry, (b) catering and (c) cleaning contracts in National Health Service hospitals in Scotland have been privatised in the last year; and how many National Health Service employees in each category have been made redundant following privatisation.

Mr. Rifkind

Details of the number of contracts let in 1985–86 are as follows:

	Laundry	Catering	Cleaning
Private contractors	—	—	1
In-house	—	3	8
TOTAL	—	3	9

No staff were made redundant as a result of the letting of contracts during the period. The level of savings made ranged from 8.5 per cent. to 61 per cent.