§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will publish in the Official Report details of the progress made by health authorities in putting their services out to tender in the manner of the answer to the hon. Member for Harborough (Sir J. Farr) on 12 June 1985, Official Report, c. 489–493;
(2) if he will give for each tendering exercise completed following health circular HC(P3)IP the health authority, the hospital, the successful tenderer (naming the company where relevant), the saving achieved, the date of the tender's approval, and the service concerned, laundry, catering or cleaning.
§ Mr. NewtonI shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give for each year since 1979 the percentage of the expenditure on (a) laundry, (b) domestic/cleaning services and (c) catering which has been paid to private contractors in the National Health Service.
129W
§ Mr. NewtonThe information requested which is derived from the annual accounts of regional and district health authorities in England together with those of the special health authorities for the London postgraduate teaching hospitals is set out in the table. The figures for 1985–86 understate the benefits to health authorities from putting more services out to private contractors, because they do not reflect the substantial savings thereby achieved.
Percentages of the Relevant Current Expenditure Paid to Private Contractors Laundry Domestic/Cleaning Services Catering 1979–81 14.1 2.4 0.2 1980–81 12.0 2.5 0.3 1981–82 11.7 2.1 0.2 1982–83 11.5 2.0 0.2 1983–84 9.7 2.0 0.2 1984–85 11.0 2.2 0.3 11985–86 12.2 5.0 0.8 1provisional figures Note:
The figures are not strictly comparable over the whole period as value added tax on contracted out services became reclaimable by health authorities on 1 September 1983 thus lowering later percentages. The figures for 1985–86 do not include expenditure by family practitioner committees, following their separation from health authorities on 1 April 1985. The form of family practitioner committees' accounts does not permit a similar analysis but their total expenditure on contracted out services in these categories was a little over £200,000.