§ Mr. George Rodgersasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she is 552W now in a position to make a statement on the incorporation of an elected element of membership to regional health authorities.
§ Dr. OwenOur proposals about the membership of health authorities were set out in the published consultative document "Democracy in the National Health Service". Comments were requested by the end of this month and we shall make a statement as soon as we have considered them. The number of elected councillors serving on regional health authorities is at present extremely small in some cases—see table below—and we proposed in our consultative paper that it should in all cases be increased to one third of the total membership.
Regional Hospital Authority Total Membership (including Chairman) Number of elected councillors Northern 17 3 Yorkshire 17 4 Trent 19 4 East Anglia 15 3 North West Thames 17 1 North East Thames 16 5 South East Thames 16 2 South West Thames 15 — Wessex 15 3 Oxford 15 2 South Western 16 3 West Midlands 17 5 Mersey 15 — North Western 17 4