To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce rules to restrict the use of public funds by primary care trusts on legal advice in relation to action taken by them in response to public concerns about the closure of hospital departments. (264008)

It is for individual national health service organisations to decide, in conjunction with the direction and priorities agreed with their strategic health authority and priorities set out in the Department’s NHS operating framework, how to spend their resources for the benefit of patients. This principle applies to all expenditure and investment, including expenditure on legal fees.