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Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill

My Lords, I rise with not only some hesitation, as the noble Earl has said, but also a certain amount of trepidation, given that the two noble Baronesses are people I respect enormously and have worked with over many years, particularly the noble Baroness, Lady Murphy. However, I too have some concerns about the amendments. If we are now moving to a system of LINks, and if, although some of us have had our doubts about it, the system is particularly to be recommended because it goes right across the piece, including social care as well as healthcare, then it is wrong to exclude any element of what might be seen as provision of health or care services from the scope of LINks. It may well be that the members of the board of governors of a foundation trust might also be members of a local LINk; in fact, that may well solve the problem. But excluding them would be the wrong way to proceed. I hope the Minister will be able to give us some assurance that LINks will apply across the patch whoever the provider is, whatever kind of provider it is and whatever other governance arrangements there are for that particular body.