§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what contact there has been between his Department and Professor James Malone-Lee since 1 January; [33496]
(2) pursuant to the oral statement of 23 January 2002, Official Report, column 880W, what involvement Professor Malone-Lee had in the drafting of the letter from the Whittington hospital read out by the Prime Minister. [33630]
§ Mr. HuttonDepartment of Health officials routinely discuss management issues with staff at national health service trusts. However, there was no contact with Professor James Malone-Lee, the medical director of the Whittington hospital, in order to discuss theEvening Standard letter. The letter that appeared in the Evening Standard, read out by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 23 January 2002, Official Report, column 880, is the property of the Whittington hospital NHS trust.