HC Deb 04 December 2002 vol 395 cc906-7W
Paul Holmes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what criteria members of the National Institute of Clinical Excellence's Citizens' Council are selected; and how many members of the National Institute of Clinical Excellence's Citizens' Council are over(a) 60, (b) 70 and (c) 75 years. [83716]

Mr. Lammy

The recruitment to the citizens' council was carried out by an independent specialist company. This company advertised for applicants, then used a combination of random selection and telephone interviews, while also ensuring that the final council is representative of all age groups, social circumstances, ethnic backgrounds, regional differences and abilities in order to provide a cross section of opinion.

Six members of the citizens council are aged over 60 years, one is aged over 70 years and one is over 75 years.