§ Mr. MaplesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many sitting Labour councillors have been appointed to NHS trust and health authority boards in the latest round of appointments. [29064]
§ Mr. MilburnI refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Helen Jackson) on 24 February 1998,Official Report, columns 173–75.
§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) disabled people and (b) members of ethnic minorities have been appointed to each of the NHS hospital trusts boards in the United Kingdom since 1 May 1997. [31583]
§ Mr. MilburnInformation about the ethnic origin and disabilities of candidates appointed to National Health Service trust boards is collected from individuals on a confidential basis for monitoring purposes and it can be made publicly available only in aggregate form. Of the 884 NHS trust appointments made in England since 1 May 1997, 12 people considered themselves to have a disability and 80 people stated that they were a member of an ethic minority.
Information relating to Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland, for Scotland and for Wales.