Toilet paper use queried

Toilet paper and pen purchases at the MidCentral District Health Board are under scrutiny by Parliament's health select committee.

It wants to know not only how many "sanitary paper products" and "writing instruments" it buys, but what proportion of them are green.

Board member Jim Jefferies said he struggled to believe what he was reading when he saw the questions the committee put to the board about its financial performance and current operations.

"These questions are being asked by people in government of a multi-billion dollar sector."

Boards throughout the country had already run up a $90 million deficit in the first seven months of the current financial year.

"I'm trying to get my head around why they want to know how much toilet paper we use."

Environmental issues, including efforts to promote car pooling, recycling and energy efficiency made up one of five main themes among the 50 questions put to the board.

"Perhaps sanitary paper products include hand towels as well, and it wouldn't be fair to compare us with others, because maybe they use more hand driers than us."

Mr Jefferies said the level of detail demanded was ironic in light of other questions about how the board planned to halt the growth in bureaucracy.

"We must have an army of people running around answering these questions that never get us anywhere."

The committee asked for material sent in response to be stapled rather than ring-bound.

- © Fairfax NZ News