East Somerset Ambulance Service (Dispute)

HC Deb 22 November 1977 vol 939 cc671-2W

73. Mr. Boscawen

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the East Somerset ambulance service dispute.

Mr. Deakins

The dispute is over the use of ambulance officers for ambulance crew duties. The unions are pressing for these officers to be removed from road crews to administrative duties at ambulance stations without any diminution of earnings or resort to redundancy. Management is seeking joint effort to resolve the dispute and now awaits a response at national level from the Trade Union sides of the officers and men's Whitley Councils. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as I know the outcome. Meanwhile all the five stations in East Somerset are working normally.