To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what further plans he has to oblige regional health authorities to put out to competitive tender their solicitors, architects, quantity surveyors and engineers services.

We have no new central initiative in mind, but we do encourage regional health authorities to test on a regular basis the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of all their services and to consider the use of private contractors for operational activities. Under existing arrangements all National Health Service construction work and at least 75 per cent. of design work is undertaken on the basis of external contracts based on fee competition.