HC Deb 25 January 1995 vol 253 cc249-50W
Dr. Lynne Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the staff of the NHS centre for information technology became civil servants when CIT merged with the corporate data administration to form the NHS information management centre in May 1988.

Mr. Sackville

The staff of the national health service centre for information technology remained employees of the NHS when CIT merged with the corporate data administration.

Dr. Lynne Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of her departmental colleagues were responsible for the setting up of the NHS centre for information technology in 1985; what considerations underlay the decision to set up the centre, and what documents have been published setting out the justification for the centre.

Mr. Sackville

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State at the time was responsible for setting up the national health service centre for information technology. CIT was concerned primarily with the development and application of common standards and systems for the NHS. Further details were contained in the document "A National Strategic Framework for Information in the Hospital and Community Services" published in October 1986, copies of which are available in the Library.

Dr. Lynne Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 20 December 1994,Official Report, column 1145, if the agency agreement with the west midlands regional health authority was the sole legal basis for the centre for information technology.

Mr. Sackville

West Midlands regional health authority was given formal status within existing legislation to act as agents of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the employment of centre for information technology staff.