To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department provides to strategic health authorities on provision of information to those in the catchment area of hospitals on decisions to reduce levels of services at those hospitals. (282135)

The Department provides no specific guidance to strategic health authorities on the provision of information to those in the catchment area of hospitals on decisions to reduce levels of services at those hospitals. These are matters for the local primary care trusts who have responsibility for involving service users in the planning of services and development of proposals for change in services.