§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the implications of recent changes in the national health service, including the creation of hospital trusts, for the roles and responsibilities of hospital social workers.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe NHS reforms have not changed the collaborative arrangements whereby local authorities provide social work services to the NHS without charge or the responsibilities of the individual social workers concerned. Local authority circular LAC(91)14 issued in October 1991 made this clear; a copy of the circular is available in the Library.