asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the range of charges per day to patients occupying private beds in a National Health Service hospital; and on the basis of what calculations she determines such charges.

					Daily charge for private resident patients who have not made arrangements for treatment by a private doctor		Daily charge for private resident patients who have made arrangements for treatment by a private doctor
					Single room	Other accommodation	Single room	Other accommodation
					£	£	£	£
Class A—Long Stay hospitals (other than Classes D and E)			…	…	10·20	9·40	9·80	8·90
Class B—Psychiatric hospitals (other than Classes D and E)			…	…	6·60	6·00	6·30	5·70
Class C—Acute and other hospitals (other than Classes D and E)				…	18·50	16·90	17·70	16·10
Class D—London teaching hospitals (as at 31st March 1974)			…	…	26·30	24·10	24·70	22·50
Class E—Provincial teaching hospitals and university hospitals (as at 31st March 1974)	…	…	…	…	22·10	20·20	20·80	18·90

The basis on which these charges are determined is that prescribed in Section 1(3) of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968—namely, that for each period of 12 months beginning on 1st April in each year the Secretary of State shall have regard so far as is reasonably practicable to the total cost—exclusive of costs appearing to her to be properly attributable to capital account—which by reference to facts known to her at the time of the determination, it is estimated will be incurred during that period in the provision for resident patients of hospital and specialist services at hospitals falling within each of the classes listed above and may also include in any such charge in such cases as appear to her fit such amounts as appear to her to be proper and reasonable to be included by way of contribution to expenditure appearing to her to be properly attributable to capital account. My right hon. Friend is currently considering revised charges for the year beginning 1st April.