Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the amount charged by private companies to patients in NHS hospitals to watch TV in each of the last five years; and if he will place restrictions on the amount which patients can be charged for TV services while in hospital.

The Department has not estimated the average charge to patients to access personal television services in hospitals.

Service providers set their own charges. The Department is not party to the contracts which exist between the service providers and the individual National Health Service trusts. If patients do not wish to or are unable to afford the cost of the bedside television they should still be able to watch the free to view television in the hospital day room or communal areas.