§ Mrs. Iris RobinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures he plans to take to improve morale among members of the Ambulance Service of Northern Ireland. [115963]
§ Mr. BrowneI am not aware of any specific problems concerning morale in the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service. However, I am alert to the potential impact on morale that violence against ambulance staff might have. The Ambulance Service has undertaken a wide range of initiatives to address this problem including staff training, the review of its violence to staff policy; better reporting mechanisms, public outreach work, enhanced security measures and increased local and regional liaison with PSNI. The Trust also extensively lobbies public representatives to use their influence to support and assist NIAS and works with local community groups and schools to try and raise awareness and prevent attacks from occurring.