§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when she received the report of the departmental advisory group on the medical aspects of air pollution episodes; when and how she expects it to be published; what requests for it have been declined; and if she will place a copy of it in the Library.
§ Mr. SackvilleI refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave the hon. Member for Islington South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) on 15 December 1993 at column720. No requests for the report have been declined.
258Wthe rationalisation of mobile radio communications, principally those used by the ambulance services. From 1996 it is expected there will be increasing technical integration of all apsects of NHS-wide electronic communications.
The business case for implementing a national spine to connect regional data networks has been approved. Work is in hand to connect all regionwide data networks by late 1994.
Agreements have been made with Mercury Communications and British Telecom which will provide immediate multi-million pound savings to their NHS customers. Further analysis of telephone usage and requirements locally in the NHS is planned for 1994. Preliminary work indicates this should lead to additional significant savings.
A study examining the business case for the provision of mobile communications in the NHS is planned to report in April 1994.