§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will ensure that all National Health Service hospital in-patients are able to obtain a cooked alternative to cook-chill food if they request it;
(2) what advice his Department has given to health authorities concerning the feeding of individual patients in hospitals providing only cook-chill meals where the patients concerned refuse to eat food produced by this method.
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§ Mr. FreemanI refer the lion. Member to my reply to him on Tuesday 17 January at columns113–14.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what information he has received regarding the Yorkshire regional health authority's proposals to adopt the use of four central production units within the private sector for the purpose of the introduction of the cook-chill catering throughout the Yorkshire region;
(2) what is the position of the current in-house cook-chill production units following the decision of the Yorkshire regional health authority to privatise hospital catering provision;
(3) what recent consultation has taken place between the Yorkshire regional health authority and (a) the district health authorities, (b) the community health councils and (c) trade unions, concerning their future plans for hospital catering within the region.
§ Mr. FreemanThe Yorkshire regional health authority consulted widely on its catering strategy and continues to do so when appropriate. Questions about its implementation are a local matter and not for me. The hon. Member may wish to contact the regional chairman for the particular information he is seeking.