§ Dr. WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which of the national health service bodies sponsored by his Department have a statutory base; and if he will list those bodies which(a) admit members of the public to all board or committee meetings and (b) hold open meetings for the public (i) under a statutory requirement and (ii) voluntarily. [21829]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonAll national health service bodies in Scotland have a statutory basis. Health boards and special health boards are statutorily required to admit members of the public to their meetings, unless by resolution they exclude the public to all or part of their meetings for a specific reason, such as security considerations. NHS trusts are statutorily required to hold an annual public meeting and many trusts voluntarily admit the public to their board meetings. The Mental Welfare Commission, the Common Services Agency and the National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting for Scotland are not required to hold any board meetings to which the public are admitted.
§ Dr. WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which of the national health service bodies sponsored by his Department publish(a) annual reports, (b) annual accounts, (c) minutes of meetings, (d) agendas of meetings and (e) a register of members' interests (i) under a statutory requirement and (ii) voluntarily. [21835]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThere is a statutory obligation on national health service trusts to publish an annual report; all other NHS bodies are required to do so by the codes of conduct and accountability and the code of practice on openness in the NHS in Scotland. There is a statutory obligation on all NHS bodies to publish annual accounts but no obligation on them to publish minutes of their meetings, although many do. Health boards and special health boards are statutorily required to publish the agendas of their meetings. All NHS bodies are required by the codes of conduct and accountability to maintain a register of members' interests.