To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ask the Healthcare Commission to include in its annual health check the monitoring of performance of private patient transport services contracted for the use of NHS patients. (206457)

The Healthcare Commission’s annual health check is an independent assessment of national health service organisations performance. The Healthcare Commission has recently consulted on the content of their annual health check and is due to publish the 2008-09 assessment process soon. It is not for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to determine the content of the assessment, other than to ensure it covers the national priorities that have been set out by Government.