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Local Involvement Networks: Stoke-on-Trent

Volume 495: debated on Wednesday 8 July 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has evaluated the (a) selection criteria for, (b) level of expertise of and (c) relevant interests of the Local Involvement Networks executive board in Stoke-on-Trent; what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the resources available to the board to carry out its functions; and if he will make a statement. (284967)

No evaluation or assessment has been made of the Stoke-on-Trent Local Involvement Network (LINk) executive board, or the adequacy of resources available. The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 put a duty on local authorities with social services responsibilities to establish LINks in their area from 1 April 2008. LINks are independent and have the power to develop their own priorities, agendas and governance arrangements. The Stoke-on-Trent LINk management board is elected by the members of the LINk. The Department has issued a range of guidance to support LINks, their hosts, and local authorities in this new role and provides the funding for LINks (currently £84 million for 2008-09 to 2010-11), the vast majority of which goes directly to local authorities. The level of the local authority contribution to the LINk is a matter for individual councils. As part of its annual reporting to the Secretary of State, an individual LINk is asked to declare the amount of funding made available to it in order that it might carry out its duties. The Department has not yet received the annual report from Stoke-on-Trent LINk.