To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make it his policy to provide a financial loss allowance for members of local involvement networks; (182777)

Patient and public involvement is key to developing and delivering responsive and accountable health and social care services. For effective involvement, people need to feel supported and that their contribution has been valued. This can be done in a number of ways, including participants being thanked and their contribution acknowledged.

It will be for each Local Involvement Network (LINk) to determine its own policy regarding payment and reimbursement. However, we will remind LINks and host organisations that the Department of Health's ‘Reward and Recognition: The Principles and Practice of Service User Payment and Reimbursement in Health and Social Care, A Guide for Service Providers, Service Users and Carers’ document provides a useful guide for service providers, users and carers on the principles and practice of service user payment and reimbursement in health and social care. A copy of the document has been placed in the Library and is also available at:

www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4138523

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that local involvement networks are funded to establish regional and national networks to monitor (a) cancer networks, (b) mental health services and (c) ambulance services. (182901)

While local involvement networks (LINks) will be independent and will have the power to develop their own priorities and agendas, they will need to develop relationships with a number of stakeholders to fulfil their statutory role effectively. In certain circumstances, LINks may want to work in partnership to monitor services provided by, for example, cancer networks, mental health services or ambulance trusts, across more than one local authority boundary. LINks may also wish to work together in regional groups, or even nationally to share experience and findings. There is nothing to prevent LINks using some of their funding to establish local, regional or national networks if they so wish.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure Local Involvement Networks (LINks) members are provided with indemnity by his Department in respect of their reasonable activities on behalf of a LINk. (183011)

It will be for local authorities to determine their own policies regarding local involvement networks (LINks) and indemnity. Authorities may choose to indemnify certain LINks’ members directly or stipulate that host organisations must make arrangements to do so as part of their LINks’ contracts.