asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many staff appeals (NHS reorganisation tribunals exist; and when they will be wound up.

When an appeal is made, a staff appeals (NHS reorganisation) tribunal may be convened for any one of the 14 NHS regions, under a chairman appointed on an on-call basis and with members drawn from a panel of management and staff side representatives. No tribunal is sitting at present. The number of appeals has been small and the tribunals will be wound up when there is no further need for them, that is, when appeals stemming from the reorganisation of the NHS in 1974 come to an end. I am considering with the staff side what machinery should exist for appeals if we proceed with the proposals in "Patients First".