An emerging framework document issued by the Department of Health says local councils will have 'significant influence' in the management of care trusts.'The aim is to ensure governance arrangements that genuinely reflect the shared responsibilities of the partners in the care trust, ' it says. Local Government Association head of health and social affairs John Ransford insisted local government must be able to delegate members to care trust boards, rather than going through the Independent Appointments Commission. And he called for care trust boards to have 'a minimum number of local authority representatives, up to equality [with the NHS], dependent on local circumstances'.

Care Trusts. www.doh.gov.uk/caretrusts/index.htm