HC Deb 25 February 1994 vol 238 cc519-20W
Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for Health in respect of which non-elected bodies whose membership in whole or in part is appointed by her(a) meetings are open to the public, (b) there is scrutiny of financial procedures by independently appointed audit and (c) there are rules governing the declaration of interests.

Dr. Mawhinney

The public bodies for which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is responsible are listed in the publication "Public Bodies", copies of which are available in the Library.

Regional health authorities, district health authorities, family health services authorities and national health service trusts are required to have at least one public meeting per year.

The Health Education Authority, the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work, the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting and the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting hold public meetings.

NHS tribunals are held in public if the respondent or applicant requests it.

NHS authorities and trusts and executive non-departmental public bodies—NDPBs—are subject to audit by either the Audit Commission or the National Audit Office. The Public Accounts Committee scrutinises the activities of all such bodies and may summon the chief executive of a NHS authority, NHS trust or NDPB to give evidence if any issue of probity arises or if there is any suggestion that it is not conducting its operations as economically, efficiently and effectively as it should.

NHS authorities, trusts and NDPBs have rules governing the declaration of interests, and these rules will be further strengthened from 1 April 1994.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list all the organisations and agencies over which her Department has, in whole or in part, rights of nomination; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Sackville

The non—departmental public bodies—both executive and advisory—tribunals and national health service bodies over which my right hon. Friend has rights of nomination are listed in "Public Bodies 1993", a copy of which is available in the Library.

My right hon. Friend also makes appointments to the advisory boards of the three next steps agencies for which the Department of Health is responsible:

  • The NHS Estates Agency
  • The Medicines Control Agency
  • The NHS Pensions Agency.