§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner)My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Health has made the following Written Ministerial Statement today.
As stated in my Statement of 30 March (col. 83WS), NHS foundation trusts (NHSFTs) are public benefit corporations, and, as such, are independent of the department, and directly accountable to their local populations and to Parliament. Because of this independent status, and NHSFTs' separate and local route of accountability, Ministers are no longer in a position to comment on, or provide information about, the detail of operational management within such trusts. Any such questions will be referred to the relevant NHSFT chairman.
To ensure that replies from NHSFTs are available to all Members, they will, from today, be placed in the Library.