asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many staff employed in National Health Service hospitals are currently engaged on domestic services, housekeeping services, home warden services, laundry services and ancillary services; if he will express this as a percentage of the total staff employed; and what is the cost of these staff to the latest convenient date.

172,800 whole-time equivalents were employed in the ancillary staff council grades in the NHS in England at 30 September 1977. They comprised 21·6 per cent. of the total staff employed and their cost for the year 1977–78 was £548 million.