To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of (a) the winding-up costs of (i) the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health and (ii) PPI forums and (b) the start-up costs for local involvement networks; and if she will make a statement. (135300)

[holding answer 1 May 2007]: The precise cost of winding-up the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH) is not yet known as some costs such as those for making staff redundant will not become clear until later in the year. However, we do know that all costs associated with the wind-up of the CPPIH will be covered from within its existing funding allocation. There will be no costs associated with the wind-up of PPI forums as all associated costs for forums are contained within limited contracts between the CPPIH and forum support organisations.

The cost of establishing local involvement networks (LINks) will depend on locally relevant factors including size of the network, nature of the population, resource structure of the host, and other variables. Funds to cover LINk establishment and their running costs are currently being bid for as part of the spending review process.