Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill

I hope that I can reassure the noble Baroness and take this opportunity to put some points on the record with regard to the inclusion of prisons in the function of LINks. To make it absolutely clear: the function of LINks will be to gather the views and experiences of people in their area. It will be one of the roles of the host organisation to ensure that the views of all parts of the community are sought, and therefore LINks will certainly want to seek the views of prisoners and, for example, asylum seekers in detention centres on the health and social care services they receive or might receive. We want to encourage everyone in the community to become involved in LINks and ensure that a wide range of views are proactively gathered and fed in to those who commission and provide care services. On the specific amendment before us, I can confirm for the record that a LINk as described in Clause 222(2)(a) to (d) apply to healthcare commissioned and provided to prisoners. The definition of ““local care services”” is given in Clause 222(5) and relates to care services provided in the authority’s area and those provided in ““any place”” for people from that area. Therefore, anyone living even temporarily within a given local authority area will fall under the remit of the LINk and should be able to share their experiences of the care services they have received with the LINk for that area, even if the services they receive are from outside it. Any healthcare commissioned by the PCT will fall under the remit of a LINk, even if it is provided in a prison. I hope, with that clear point on the record, that the noble Baroness will feel able to withdraw her amendment.