§ Sir John Farrasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of the present dependence of community health councils on the regional health authority for both the appointment of their secretaries and the approval and funding of their annual budgets, he will give community health councils some degree of independence by establishing another method for their funding and staffing.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI see no need for this.
§ Sir John Farrasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of the fact that community health councils are funded by and have their staff appointed by the regional health authorities, he is satisfied that community health councils are in a position to give independent advice to him on proposed hospital closures or reductions in services.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeYes.
§ Sir John Farrasked the Secretary of State for Social Services on how many occasions in each of the last three available years he has been provided with the views of a community health council in relation to a proposed hospital closure or reduction in services; and on how many 408W occasions of that total the community health council recommendation has been opposed to that of the regional health authority.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeProposals for hospital closure or change of use are normally only referred to us after formal consultation if they are opposed by a community health council but supported by the regional health authority. The number of referrals for each of the last three years is as follows:
Number 1982 3 1983 24 1984 30 No proposal proceeds if the regional health authority refuses to endorse it. There is no general requirement for proposals to be referred to Ministers where the CHC, RHA and district health authority are in agreement. We therefore have no information about cases where RHA and CHC both supported or both opposed a proposal or where the regional health authority alone opposed it.
We do not hold centrally detailed information about representations made by CHCs on alterations to services not involving hospital closure or change of use.
§ Mr. Pawseyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the cost of community health councils for the year 1985–86; and how that cost compares with each of the past five years.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeWe have made no estimate centrally of the cost of community health councils in 1985–86. The annual accounts of health authorities show the following amounts as their total expenditure on community health councils in the most recent five years for which figures are available:
£'000s 1979–80 4,031 1980–81 4,934 1981–82 5,368 1982–83 5,787 1983–84 6,099