Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the research undertaken by the Health Services Journal, published on 5 March, which showed the number of clinical commissioning group areas which met the 18 minute target for category 2 emergency ambulance calls.

No assessment has been made. All English ambulance services have adopted the Ambulance Response Programme model, and report data at trust level against the Ambulance Quality Indicators. There is no central data collection at clinical commissioning group level and no further assessment will be made, as it is a matter for local commissioners.

The Joint Ambulance Improvement Programme is taking forward the recommendations in Lord Carter of Coles’ report Operational productivity and performance in English NHS Ambulance Trusts: Unwarranted variations.