The Standing Nursing and Midwifery Advisory Committee (SNMAC) has a duty to advise the Secretary of State for Health on such matters relating to nursing and midwifery services as they think fit, or are referred to them by the Secretary of State.

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires public authorities, including SNMAC, to adopt and maintain publication schemes having regard to the public interest in having access to the information they hold and in the publication of reason for the decisions made by authorities. In considering how most appropriately to achieve these aims SNMAC has taken into account the particular nature of its work, the small number of meetings it holds each year, and the limited administrative resources it has available. In the light of all these considerations SNMAC has decided to publish the information detailed below from November 2002.

The Secretary to SNMAC (currently Ann Towner) will be responsible for the day to day administration of the publication scheme. However, ultimate responsibility for the proper maintenance and application of SNMAC's publication scheme rests collectively with all members of SNMAC.

The information to be published under this scheme is :

• Terms of reference : SNMAC's terms of reference
  
• Appointments to SNMAC : a brief summary of the procedures used for appointing members to SNMAC
  
• Members of SNMAC :
  
• the names, professional roles, and periods of appointment of current members of SNMAC
  
• a register summarising the interests declared by current members of SNMAC
  
• Contact details : a contact address for SNMAC
  
• Meetings : summary notes of SNMAC's meetings (for at least the previous 2 years)
  
• SNMAC reports : information about how to obtain any SNMAC reports published in the previous 2 years
  
• Publication scheme : this publication scheme.

This information will be published on SNMAC's web-site.

The same information, as current at that time, will be provided by e mail or post to any individual who makes a request to the Secretary to SNMAC for it to be provided in that way. An exception may be made if the Chair or Vice Chair of SNMAC confirms the Secretary's assessment that a particular request is unreasonable. In that case the reason for refusing the request will be conveyed to the person who made the request.

No charge will be made for provision of any of this information in any of the ways described above.

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copyright: © | last updated 8 October 2002