§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what average percentage savings in purchasing costs were assessed by the firms retained by the National Health Service Supplies Authority or its divisions to benchmark prices as being achievable by the authority on the basis of the best available market price for a representative basket of items in comparison with prices paid or negotiated for the same items during the most recent period for which divisional data are available.
§ Mr. SackvilleFor an annualised sample basket of 392 goods taken at March 1994 National Health Service Supplies' purchasing performance was 0.4 per cent. better than that achieved in the same period covered by the PI (UK) Ltd. analysis.