asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will estimate the numbers of health authorities which did not use private laundries in the years 1983 and 1984;(2) what information he has concerning health authorities which have taken back in-house laundry work previously carried out by private contractors, as referred to in the Sixth Report of the Social Services Committee on public expenditure and social services.

The information is not collected centrally in the way requested. However, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. and learned Friend the then Minister for Health to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) on 21 February at columns 590–98.