§ Mr. Moyleasked the Minister of Health whether he will now make a statement on the action to be taken on the report of the working party on the training of ambulance staff.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonI have been considering the comments of the various bodies consulted about the Working Party's recommendations; and I have at the same time been considering the future organisation of the ambulance service, which clearly has an important bearing on the action to be taken on training.
With regard to the future of the ambulance service itself, my own view is that the balance of advantage lies on the 380W side of transfer from local health authorities to Regional Hospital Boards. I have therefore opened consultations with the local authority associations and others concerned on this basis and I have invited the Royal Commission on Local Government to let me have any observations they may wish to make as soon as can conveniently be arranged. Legislation would of course be required.
In these circumstances it would clearly be premature to seek to implement the recommendations of the Working Party on training in their entirety. At the same time it would be wrong to postpone all action; and I propose to explore the possibility of arranging experimental courses for instructors and for ambulance staff on the lines recommended by the Working Party. Such courses will provide useful experience for making longterm training arrangements later on. I also propose to ask all local health authorities to review their present training arrangements to see what improvements an be made without substantial additional expenditure.