§ Mrs. GormanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he has any plans to meet the leaders of the Health Service unions to discuss the exposure to competitive tender of the non-emergency aspects of ambulance journeys;
(2)if he will make it his policy to refer the ambulance dispute to arbitration in exchange for an undertaking from the unions involved to allow the exposure of the non-emergency ambulance service to competitive tender.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyIt is the responsibility of health authorities to provide the most appropriate and cost-effective means of transport for their patients. Health authority managers must also retain control of the amounts they pay for salaries and wages in order that resources are not diverted away from patient care. This does not happen if responsibility for pay awards is given to an outside arbitrator.