§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list the attributes he regards as essential for candidates for the post of membership of health authorities in Wales;
(2) what inquiries he made under the procedure specified in paragraph 52 of Questions of Procedure for Ministers before making the appointments to Welsh health authorities announced on 30 October.
§ Mr. David HuntAppointments are made on the basis of aptitude and merit. Individual candidates possess a range of attributes and I select those with the most appropriate combination of abilities and experience for each particular post. In doing so, I take account of such matters as expertise in running organisations, previous committee experience, and the extent of other public service work that candidates have undertaken.
Prior to the introduction of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 there was a statutory obligation to consult various specified organisations about health authority appointments. No such requirement presently exists, and I did not publicly invite nominations. It is however, my continued intention to comply with paragraph 52 and accordingly I welcome any suggestions from the Opposition parties and others as to names of those who might be considered suitable for appointment.