Health: Local Healthwatch Funding

Baroness Hollis of Heigham Excerpts

Wednesday 19th March 2014 Lords Chamber

[Earl Howe]

We do need to know if people are being sold short. I would say to my noble friend that that is one of the reasons why local Healthwatch has a seat at the table of the health and well-being board, where it is eminently able to make its voice heard if it feels that it does not have sufficient resources to do the job which local authorities are legally obliged to commission.

[Baroness Hollis of Heigham (Lab)]

My Lords, can we therefore have an assurance from the Minister that if local authorities do not spend all the money allocated on Healthwatch, they will not find their funding for Healthwatch proportionately reduced next year?

[Earl Howe]

I can give that assurance. We have allocated a fixed sum of £43.5 million for next year, and that will be paid.