HC Deb 15 January 1997 vol 288 cc289-90W
Mr. Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what(a) sanctions and (b) incentives he has to encourage ambulance trusts to meet the targets of 60 per cent. of ambulance staff trained as paramedics and one paramedic on each emergency call-out ambulance within his timetable; and if he will make a statement. [10268]

Mr. Hague

No sanctions have been introduced. Training funds are provided centrally to encourage the ambulance trusts to meet the set targets.

Mr. Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the Government response to the Third Report of the Welsh Affairs Committee, HC 91, Session 1996–97, what is his current estimate of the proportion of ambulance staff trained as paramedics in each ambulance trust; and what assessment he has made of the probability of their meeting the 60 per cent. target within his timetable. [10270]

Mr. Hague

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 16 December 1996,Official Report, column 446.

Mr. Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the Government response to the Third Report of the Welsh Affairs Committee on the Training of Ambulance Paramedics, HC 91, Session 1996–97, if he will make a statement on(a) the proposed new patients charter standard in relation to life-threatening call-outs, (b)the pilot study on prioritisation of emergency calls and (c) the research project into the costs and benefits of calls prioritisation, with particular reference to sparsely populated areas. [10269]

Mr. Hague

Any new patients charter standard in Wales in relation to life-threatening calls will be announced after my Department has fully researched the benefits and costs of calls prioritisation. No pilot study will be introduced until I am satisfied with the results of the research which is likely to be completed by April 1997.

Mr. Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the Government response to the Third Report of the Welsh Affairs Committee, HC 91, Session 1996–97, on the Training of Ambulance Paramedics what(a) interim arrangements for funding training and (b) top-sliced funds he has agreed with the Ambulance Trusts for (i) first time paramedic training and (ii) re-training for 1997–98. [10267]

Mr. Hague

Current funding arrangements, including the continuation of one-off funding for refresher training, will be kept in place in 1997–98. There will be no change in top-sliced funding in 1997–98 in respect of ambulance paramedics training.