To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the local involvement network to begin work in Oxfordshire; what the network's (a) budget for each of the next three years and (b) terms of reference will be; and what procedures there are for monitoring of the process of selection of the host organisation of the network. (179274)

Work to establish a local involvement network (LINk) in the Oxfordshire local authority area is well under way and officers are currently consulting with existing patient and public involvement forums, the voluntary sector and other stakeholders on both the Terms of Reference for the LINk and the detail of the service specification for the LINk host organisation. This work is scheduled to be completed by the end of February.

Oxfordshire county council is being allocated the sum of £222,000 in 2008-09 for the establishment of its LINk, with indicative figures of £223,000 for 2009-10 and £223,000 for 2010-11.

Those involved in the LINk, be they members of the local patient and public involvement forums or other key stakeholders, will be fully involved in agreeing the terms of reference, selecting the host organisation, and monitoring the performance of the host.

It is anticipated that a service specification will be put out to tender in early March, with a host organisation to be selected in May and the LINk being formally established by September.