§ Ms RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the weekly average budget allocation per patient in hospital for breakfast, lunch, tea and supper on 1 January 1973, 1 January 1983 and 1 January 1993.
§ Mr. Sackville[holding answer 16 February 1993]: Information in the precise form requested is not collected centrally. However, provisional data derived from the annual financial returns of health authorities in England for 1991–92 (the latest year available) indicate the average provisions cost per patient day as £2.04 and the average total daily cost of meals per patient as £5.01. The latter figure includes the costs of provisions, staff and energy.
Equivalent average costs in 1982–83 were £1.24 and £2.55, respectively. Information for 1972–73 is not available.