§ Lady HermonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many attacks on ambulance personnel there were in Northern Ireland(a) in 2001, (b) in 2002 and (c) since January 2003; how many people have been convicted for these attacks; and what action he is taking to tackle violent crime against paramedics and other ambulance staff. [120890]
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§ Angela SmithThe number of attacks on ambulance staff in 2001, 2002 and until 23 May 2003, the most recent date for which information is available, is as follows:
Attacks on staff Number 2001 68 2002 96 2003 (to May 2003) 70 Information on the number of convictions is not available. Actions being taken by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) to tackle violent crime against staff include:
- special training for front line staff, to enable them to respond safely to aggression or violence;
- a review of the Trust's violence to staff policy;
- an officer on-call system for staff subjected to violent attack;
- consistent condemnation by senior managers in the media of attacks on staff;
- improved Occupational Health Service support for staff who have been attacked; and
- the purchase of new vehicles with enhanced security measures, including security cameras and reinforced windscreens—NIAS intends to extend the use of toughened glass to side windows.