§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many of the 72 recommendations contained in a strategic review of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, published in February 2000, have been carried out; whether sufficient funds have been made available; and if not fully implemented, when they will be. [HL285]
§ Lord Williams of MostynThe department accepted 69 of the 71 recommendations contained in this report. Many of the recommendations require ongoing work and, to date six have been implemented in full. Good progress is being made on the other recommendations with priority given to fleet replacement and improved6WA communications. Additional resources of over £12 million have been made available to date and the speed at which the plan will he fully implemented will be determined by the availability of future funding.
§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Governemnt:
What is the average age and mileage of the current fleet of ambulances in the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service; and how this average compares with the normally expected age and mileage for ambulances in England. [HL286]
§ Lord Williams of MostynAt 31 October 2002, the average age of the NIAS Accident and Emergency (A&E) fleet was four years and the average mileage 104,000. UK guidelines for ambulance fleet replacement stipulates a replacement cycle for A&E vehicles of seven years or 140,000 miles.