To ask the Secretary of State for Health what rights (a) foundation trust members and (b) members of the public have to attend meetings of (i) boards of directors and (ii) boards of governors of their local foundation trust. (243431)

The National Health Service Act 2006 requires that the constitution of a national health service foundation trust must provide for meetings of the board of governors to be to open to the public. There is no equivalent provision for meetings of the board of directors. This would be a matter for each trust. Monitor (the statutory name of which is the Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts) has however issued a Code of Governance for National Health Service foundation trusts which advises directors to follow a policy of openness and transparency in their proceedings and decision making, unless this conflicts with a need to protect the wider interests of the public or the trust, including commercial-in-confidence matters.