HC Deb 25 April 1991 vol 189 cc545-7W
Mr. Foulkes

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what criteria he will use to judge whether to approve or otherwise any application for setting up an NHS trust.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

The information requested is readily available only from 1987.

The numbers and proportions of education authority primary and secondary schools with an attached special department, including classes or units, at September in each year are shown in the table:

Mr. Michael Forsyth

The criteria for NHS trust applications are published in "NHS Trusts: A Working Guide".

Mr. Foulkes

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland under what authority the chief executive of the national health service in Scotland has appointed Douglas Brown and Donald MacNeill as chairman designate and chief executive designate, respectively, of the Ayrshire national health service trust; on whose authority Donald MacNeill is organising the national health service trust application from property belonging to the Ayrshire and Arran health board; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

No appointments have been made by the chief executive of the national health service in Scotland: that of chairman-designate was announced by the Secretary of State. Procedures for applications are laid down in chapter 5 of "NHS Trusts: A Working Guide", a copy of which is in the Library.

Mr. Foulkes

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements he has made to ensure that members or officers of health boards charged with the responsibility of carrying out the consultation on NHS trusts are not themselves involved in any way in the trust application.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

In all cases where trust proposals are being pursued, a team drawn from the unit concerned has been established under the control of a project manager.

Mr. Foulkes

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information is included in the application for national health service trust status for the new Ayr hospital about the prospective directors of the trust.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

The application describes the proposed management framework. This will be examined as part of the assessment of the trust proposal.

Mr. Foulkes

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guarantees he has given to those appointed as officers designate of NHS trusts that they will be appointed to the equivalent substantive positions on the trusts, if eventually approved.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

None. The appointment of executive members of a trust is a matter for the chairman and non-executive members.

Mr. Robert Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the details of the standard contract between health boards in Scotland and proposed national health service trusts.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

[holding answer 22 April 1991]: There is no standard contract. NHS contracts between health boards and NHS trusts will be a matter for the parties concerned having regard to any general guidance which may be issued from time to time by the Scottish Office Home and Health Department.

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