Clause 60 - Commission to assist other bodies with appointments
Health Bill
6:30 pm
Andrew Lansley (Shadow Secretary of State for Health, Health; South Cambridgeshire, Conservative)
I am quite interested in this matter, not least because Papworth hospital foundation trust is in the throes of appointing a new chairman. In discussion about the process, I was interested to learn that the trust was not in a position to use the NHS Appointments Commission as a structure to assist it. From that point of view, it would have been helpful if the provision had already been in place to allow that to happen. I do not know what is available on an informal basis to help.
Can I take it that in the not-distant future hospitals across the country will be able to use the commission in the appointment of chairmen and other non-executive directors, although they will be under no obligation to do so? If they use the commission, will they be able to do so on the basis that it will be able to undertake such advisory and other arrangements as they determine? Will it have to delegate the functions or will it be simply advisory? If they use the commission, how will the financing work? We have just approved the schedule that allows the commission to be funded by the Government. Does that extend to the commission being able to undertake advisory activities and support the appointments of foundation trusts in a way that is subsidised from the support to the commission, or will such activities be rechargeable back to foundation trusts?
I take it that the fact that foundation trusts can use the commission does not mean that they will be required to do so. Can we have it on the record that the boards of governors of foundation trusts will have the discretion whether or not to use the commission to make such appointments?