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Dept of Health

Answer

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Gravesham (Mr. Arnold) of 2 July, Official Report, column 371, if he will list (a) the names, qualifications and affiliations of the members of the advisory panel for the interim report on residential provision for people with learning disabilities, (b) the criteria used to choose the advisory panel (c) the number of times the advisory panel met; and what assessment he has made of the degree of unanimity in agreeing the report.[37433] Mr. Bowis: The members of the advisory panel were: Professor David Felce PhD. Professor of Research in Learning Disabilities, University of Cardiff; Dr. Margaret Flynn BA Hons. Psychology, PhD, Assistant Director, National Development Team, Prince of Wales Fellow Royal College of General Practitioners; Professor Sheila Hollins MB BS FRC Psych, Head of Department of Psychiatry of Disability, St. George's Medical School; Chair of the Learning Disability Executive of the Royal College of Psychiatry; Professor Martin Knapp BA, MSc, PhD, Professorial Fellow and Director of the Personal Social Services Research Unit, London School of Economics and Political Science; Professor of Health Econometrics and Director of the Centre for Economics of Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry; Professor Jim Mansell MSc.(Econ) AFBPsP CPsychol, Director of the Tizard Centre, Professor of the Applied Psychology of Learning Disability, University of Kent at Canterbury; Professor Norma Raynes, BA MSc PhD, Professor of Social Care in the School of Human and Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield; Professor David Sines PhD, BSc (Hons), RMN, RNMH, FRCN, Department of Nursing and Health Visiting, University of Ulster; Chair of Learning Disabilities Coalition; and Dr. Lorna Wing MB BS FRC Psych, Psychiatric Consultant to the National Autistic Society. Members of the panel were selected on the basis of their academic standing and expertise in learning disability. They were asked to help ensure that the literature review took account of all research studies on the topic published since 1980. The advisory panel was not asked to meet formally, nor was it essential for members to reach unanimity on all aspects of the research findings. The researchers were able to look to the panel for professional and academic input into the wide range of issues covered. This has been an important strength of the research.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

37433; 281 c723-4W

Session

1995-96

Subjects

Care homes Advisory bodies Learning disability Public appointments Department of Health