HC Deb 10 November 1987 vol 122 cc171-2W
Mr. Mallon

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give details of plans made by the Department of Health and Social Security to privatise the home help service in the constituency of Newry and Armagh; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Needham

[holding answer, 2 November 1987]: The Department of Health and Social Services has no plans to privatise the home help service.

Mr. Mallon

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the cost, adjusted to take inflation into account, of the home help care service in Northern Ireland for each of the years 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986 respectively.

Mr. Needham

[holding answer, 2 November 1987]: The information is as follows:

1£
1983–84 18,495,747
1984–85 18,133,254
1985–86 18,825,180
1986–87 218,292,869
1 At 1985–86 prices.
2 Provisional.

Mr. Dobson

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give details of contracts agreed by each health and social service board for the following services(a) ambulances, (b) gardening, (c) laboratories, (d) portering, (e) shops in hospitals, (f) window cleaning, (g) pharmacy and (h) telephones; and if he will give the estimated annual savings in each case.

Mr. Needham

[holding answer, 6 November 1987]: This information is not held centrally and could he provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Dobson

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give the latest figures as a percentage of services put out to tender by each health and social service board for(a) catering, (b) domestic services, and (c) laundry; and if he will give the estimated annual savings.

Mr. Needham

[holding answer, 6 November 1987]: To date Northern Ireland health and social services boards have been unable to proceed to tender stage in any tests of catering, laundry or domestic services because of insufficient interest from private sector companies