§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) in which instance the final interviews for trust non-executive directors' posts in the North Thames region864W have been conducted during the appointment process for the new chairman of the trust, and before the Secretary of State made the appointment; [13204]
(2) when he made the appointment of the new chairman of the Basildon and Thurrock Hospital trust; and when the final interviews for non-executive directors for the Basildon and Thurrock Hospital trust were conducted. [13203]
§ Mr. MilburnIn the current round of appointments to national health service trusts in the North Thames region, there are vacancies for 24 chairmen and 91 non-executive directors. All these appointments are made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health on the advice of the regional chairman. Given the time constraints for this year's trust exercise, it has not always been possible to involve new chairmen in shortlisting candidates for non-executive directors for their trusts. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote on 30 October inviting a candidate to accept the post of chairman of Basildon and Thurrock General Hospitals NHS trust. The new chairman's views will be taken into account on who should fill the two non-executive posts at the trust which fall vacant on 1 December.