asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the current annual cost of catering services in National Health Service hospitals; and what percentage of this is carried out by private contractors.

Expenditure by National Health Service authorities in England on hospital services catering for the year ended 31st March 1977, the latest for which accounts have been rendered by the authorities, totalled £205,351,667. As the accounts submitted to the Department do not separately identify payments to private contractors I regret that I am unable to provide the percentage requested.