§ Mr. KilfoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland who are the members currently appointed to the Scottish health service advisory council.
§ Mr. Stewart[holding answer 24 February 1994]: The advisory council was abolished last year.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list the people from Clydebank who have been appointed to(a) Glasgow health board, (b) Dumbartonshire local enterprise company, (c) the board of management of Clydebank technical college and (d) other Government bodies;
798W(2) which people from Eastwood have been appointed to (a) Greater Glasgow health board, (b) Argyll and Clyde health board, (c) the boards of local enterprise companies, (d) local hospital trusts, (e) the board of management of technical colleges and (f) other Government bodies;
(3) how many people on local hospital trusts live in (a)Clydebank and (b) Eastwood.
§ Mr. Lang[holding answer 28 February 1994]:No resident of Clydebank has been appointed to Greater Glasgow health board. One resident of Eastwood has been appointed to the board, Rev. R. D. M. Campbell.
No resident of Eastwood has been appointed to Argyll and Clyde health board.
No resident of Clydebank has been appointed to local NHS hospital trusts. The names of those residents of Eastwood who have been appointed to local NHS hospital trusts are as follows:
- Southern General Hospital NHS Trust:—Mrs. Ann P. Moore
- Victoria Infirmary NHS Trust:—Mrs. Alison Gilchrist
- Dr. Robert Colville
- Yorkhill NHS Trust:—Mrs. Gwendoline Garner
Information identifying the place of residence of members of the boards of management of further education colleges is not held centrally.
I do not make appointments to the boards of local enterprise companies and so I am not in a position to give the information requested in respect of them.
The addresses of appointees to non-departmental public bodies are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to secure greater transparency in the affairs of non-elected bodies whose membership in whole or in part is appointed by him or who exercise functions previously carried out by local authorities.
§ Mr. Lang[holding answer 28 February 1994]: Such action as is necessary has already been taken or is in hand. All the bodies to which I appoint members and which undertake expenditure directly either produce audited accounts or, in some minor cases, have their expenditure included in the accounts prepared by my Departments. Most also produce annual reports. These reports and accounts are laid before Parliament and they may be examined by the Committee of Public Accounts.
In addition, the Comptroller and Auditor General may conduct inquiries into the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which bodies to which I appoint members and which receive more than half their income from public funds, have used their resources. Reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General may be submitted to Parliament and the Committee of Public Accounts may question senior officials both of my Department and, in many cases, of the bodies themselves.
Management statements have been, or will be, prepared for most executive NDPBs. These will be published and will define the role and responsibilities of the body, its relationship with its sponsor departments, its accountability, aims and objectives. In addition, executive NDPBs are expected to meet the charter standards of the citizens charter and the principles of the Government's White Paper, "Open Government". A code of conduct for NHS boards which encourages transparency about NHS activities has already been issued for consultation. It is also planned to produce a code of practice to follow up steps 799W already taken as part of the patients charter initiative to incorporate into the NHS the principles of the Government's White Paper, "Open Government".
The only bodies which carry out functions formerly undertaken by local authorities, are the colleges of further education for which I became responsible on 1 April 1993. The colleges produce annual reports and audited accounts and the Comptroller and Auditor General has a right to inspect their books and records and to carry out value for money studies. Again, he may report the results of these studies to Parliament and the Committee of Public Accounts can question relevant officials. This year, for the first time, each college will also be required to publish a shortened development plan, describing its forward objectives and its performance in meeting past objectives.