§ Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the number of persons he currently appoints in the Health Service; and what were the numbers which were appointed in 1979.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyMy right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State is presently responsible for appointing the chairmen of 14 regional health authorities, 190 district health authorities, 90 family practitioner committees, and eight special health authorities for the London postgraduate teaching hospitals. My right hon. and learned Friend is also responsible for appointing members of regional health authorities in such numbers as he sees fit (usually 16), 30 members of each family practitioner committee, 19 members of each of the SHAs for the London postgraduate teaching hospitals (except the Eastman dental hospital which has 15 members), and 623W the trustees (usually five) to the 22 bodies of special trustees appointed under section 95 of the NHS Act 1977 to administer trust property.
The information for 1979 is not directly comparable because of the restructuring of the National Health Service in 1982. The Secretary of State was then responsible for appointing the chairmen of 14 regional health authorities, 90 area health authorities, and 12 preserved boards of governors. He was also responsible for the appointment of members of regional health authorities, the governors of the preserved boards, and special trustees.
In addition, my right hon. and learned Friend makes some 2,000 other appointments to a variety of other public and advisory bodies whose work is related to the National Health Service.