§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 16 December (WA 80) concerning the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, whether a press release from the Executive Information Service of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety of 3 July which refers to spending in the current year and in 2003–04 indicated that £16.2 million was being made available to the service; whether it will outline how the full £16.2 million will be spent on the service during the period; and whether the press release was correct. [HL905]
§ Lord Williams of MostynThe £16.2 million announced in the press release refers to a package of planned measures for improvements in the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, including £10.3 million for new ambulances, £4.3 million for improvements to ambulance stations and £1.6 million for the enhancement of the service's communications and control system:£4 million was allocated initially to take forward this package in 2002–03 and 2003–04.
It is anticipated that the balance of resources will be made available to the ambulance service from 2004–05 onwards through the re-investment and reform initiative.
§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 16 December (WA 80), whether they will now consider methods of accrediting private ambulances in order to ensure a quality of service in which members of the public will not be placed at unnecessary risk. [HL906]
§ Lord Williams of MostynNo. Responsibility for ensuring that the non-emergency services provided by the private sector meet the standards which they require lies with those organisations which use them.