HC Deb 15 February 1990 vol 167 cc400-1W
Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will call for a report from the chairman of Wakefield health authority on how many functions have been held by the authority to give time out to senior managers in order to consider management structure within a possible self-governing trust; where these functions were held; and what was the full public cost;

(2) if he will call for a report from the chairman of Wakefield health authority as to when the district finance officer of the authority was informed in writing of his suspension from duty;

(3) if he will call for a report from the chairman of Wakefield health authority on why the locks on the door of the office of the district finance officer of the authority were changed shortly after his recent suspension from duty;

(4) if he will call for a report from the chairman of Wakefield health authority on the reasons for the suspension from duty of the district finance officer of the authority; and if he will make a statement;

(5) if he will call for a report from the chairman of Wakefield health authority as to why senior managers of the authority spent the night of 12 February at the Crown hotel, Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire; what was the purpose of their stay and the full cost to be met from public funds; and whether he will make a statement;

(6) if he will set up an independent inquiry into the circumstances leading up to the suspension from duty of the district finance officer of Wakefield health authority.

Mrs Virginia Bottomley

These are matters for local management who are currently dealing with them.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to instruct his Department's director of audit to carry out a full audit of Wakefield health authority's hospitality account and to make the report public.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State does not intend to instruct the Department's director of audit to carry out an audit of the Wakefield health authority's hospitality account.