§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 9 February,Official Report, column 25, if the non-executive members of Cornwall Health Care trust sought legal advice from (a) the regional health authority and (b) the Department of Health before releasing the statements which resulted in the Kirby-Harris libel case. [18081]
§ Mr. MaloneIt is not the function of the regional health authority or the Department of Health to provide legal advice to national health service trusts or their directors. Mrs. Kirby-Harris has accepted that the publication of the statement was not authorised by the non-executives.