§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) when he(a) encouraged the Welsh ambulance policy advisory group to develop an expression of interest to reconfigure the Welsh ambulance services and (b) requested it to submit its proposals to him by June; [13197]
(2) if he will place in the Library copies of correspondence between his Department and the Welsh ambulance policy advisory group concerning the group's outline expression of interest of 1996 and subsequent correspondence referring to future expressions of interest on ambulance service mergers. [13195]
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesAny proposals to reconfigure ambulance trusts are matters for the trusts themselves in conjunction with respective commissioners. They have not been asked for an expression of interest or set a timetable for its submission. I welcome the work being undertaken by the Welsh ambulance policy advisory group and I am aware that the group's objective is to submit joint proposals for the future provision of ambulances in Wales by June 1997. If the proposals include a possible reconfiguration of trusts, that would be subject to public consultation in the usual way.
Correspondence between the Department and NHS trusts is treated as management in confidence.