To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the status of the application for foundation trust status by the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust; and what are the next steps in the process.[HL2573]

The Secretary of State supported East Lancashire Hospitals National Health Service Trust’s application to become an NHS foundation trust in September 2008. Monitor (the statutory name of which is the independent regulator of NHS foundation trusts), is now assessing the trust's application. Guidance on Monitor’s assessment process is set out in the document Applying for NHS Foundation Trust Status—Guide for Applicants (Monitor and the Department of Health, November 2008). A copy of this document has been placed in the Library.