§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Wakefield,Official Report, 23 January, if he will specify who is responsible for the nomination of the second independent professional assessor; and what criteria are used when deciding who will sit on a particular appointments panel.
§ Mr. MellorThe district health authority itself normally nominates one of the two independent assessors; the other, as I indicated in my reply of 23 January at column411 is nominated by the regional health authority. Apart from the requirement for assessors, the constitution of appointments panels is a matter for district health authorities to decide for themselves. The Department does not lay down criteria, and I would expect practice (for example with regard to the size of panels) to vary between authorities.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health who were the two independent professional assessors on the most recent appointment board for the post of district general manager in the Wakefield health authority.
§ Mr. MellorThis is a local matter. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of the health authority for the information he is seeking.