To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will seek powers to prevent community health councils from using public money for party political purposes.

Community health councils are established and funded by regional health authorities to represent the interests of the public in the Health Service. A community health council is independent both of the health authorities and the Department in the way in which it goes about its task. A community health council must, however, remain within the law and is accountable to the regional health authority for the way in which the funds have been used. If my hon. Friend has evidence of the misdirection of community health council funds to party political purposes I will arrange for it to be considered.