HC Deb 11 December 1990 vol 182 c364W
Mr. Fisher

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will publish tables showing the amount spent on(a) acquiring and (b) commissioning goods and services by his Department in each of the last five years.

Mr. Dorrell

Departmental purchasing information systems do not differentiate between costs of acquiring and commissioning goods and services. However, information on total departmental expenditure on goods and services from 1986–87 onwards is set out in the annual reports of the Central Unit on Purchasing, copies of which are available in the Library. For years prior to 1989–90 it was not possible to differentiate Department of Health expenditure within the overall Department of Health and Social Security total.