§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied that no conflict of interest arises from those National Health Service regulations which require members and officials of a health authority to declare their financial interests in a private hospital only when a contract between the authority and the hospital is under consideration and his Department's guidance in HC(PI)1, concerning planning the provision of National Health Service services, including short-term needs, and advising health authorities to take into account the current and planned facilities available in the independent sector in order to assess the potential for contractual arrangements.
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§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeYes. The statutory requirements on members to disclose pecuniary interests go wider than contractual matters and would cover the kind of arrangements envisaged in circular HC(PI)1. There is no parallel statutory requirement on officers, but I would expect any officer with a pecuniary interest to declare it to his authority when tendering his advice, and it is open to authorities to include such a requirement in their standing orders.