§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Wakefield,Official Report, 1 December, column 384, on what date Mr. Arthur Pinegar of the Leeds public health laboratory ceased his involvement in private research concerning cook-chill catering.
§ Mr. FreemanI refer the hon. Member to the reply to him by my predecessor on 1 December 1988, at column384.
The public health laboratory service has no further details of when Mr. Pinegar ceased those activities to which the hon. Member refers.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to ensure that hospital patients in health authorities which introduce cook-chill catering also have the opportunity to consume food produced by conventional methods as an alternative.
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§ Mr. FreemanHealth authorities are responsible for determining the delivery of catering services and take into account the needs of the hospital patients.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if it is possible for cook-chill food from commercial catering companies to be supplied at hospitals with central production units within the requirements of his Department's 1980 guidelines on pre-cooked food in catering.
§ Mr. FreemanYes. Health authorities should satisfy themselves that any cook-chill food from outside sources meets the recommendations in the 1980 guidelines.