To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent additional financial support his Department has provided to Staffordshire local involvement network (LINk); whether his Department has plans for a national publicity campaign to promote awareness of LINks; and if he will make a statement. (274918)

The Department has no current plans to allocate additional funding to Staffordshire local involvement network (LINk) although we are working to help the responsible local organisations to provide support for the LINk that is consistent with local authorities' duties in relation to LINks.

A written ministerial statement was issued on Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust on 30 April in response to the reports of the independent reviews undertaken by Professor Sir George Alberti and Dr. David Colin-Thomé. The statement sets out a commitment to give extra support to all LINks including a ‘how to be heard’ guide for the public, and a national publicity campaign to promote awareness of the role of LINks in influencing local decision making around national health service services.