§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS trust non-executive appointments were due on 1 November; how many individuals concerned had been informed of the outcome by that date; how many appointments were outstanding on 7 November; when he anticipates all such appointments to be announced; if he is following the guidelines on NHS appointments established in line with the recommendations of the Nolan Committee; and if he will make a statement on delays in the NHS appointment process.[15442]
§ Mr. MilburnA total of 570 trust board vacancies were due to be filled on 1 November; 261 of these appointments had been made by that date and a further 105 had been made by 7 November. This left 204 of these appointments still to be confirmed. We expect virtually all of them to have been made by the end of November. All appointments are made in accordance with the guidance issued by the Commissioner of Public Appointments and the principles established by the Nolan Committee. The slight delays that have occurred have been due to the introduction of new procedures designed to make boards more representative of the communities they serve.