§ Mr. Terry DavisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health why he has appointed Mr. John Bettinson to be chairman of the trust for East Birmingham hospital before the end of the consultation period for the proposal to establish a trust for this hospital.
§ Mr. WaldegraveNHS trust chairmen and non-executive directors cannot be formally appointed until an NHS trust is established. Our current programme for second-wave NHS trusts envisages formal establishment in the autumn of this year. The names of the chairmen will be provided around the same time.