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North East Ambulance Service

I take my hon. Friend’s comments seriously, and I shall ask officials to look into that and inform myself and the Minister responsible for the ambulance service. I acknowledge the request that she has made of us. I recognise that patients and the public feel very strongly about the organisation of ambulance control rooms. As a former nurse who worked in the health service for more than 25 years, I am fully aware of the commitment of our control room staff and ambulance crews and the debt that we owe to such skilled and highly professional people. Understandably, people want to feel secure in the knowledge that the services that they need will be there for them at times of life-threatening emergency. My hon. Friend the Member for Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland has outlined the seriousness of what faces us all, including the threat of terrorism, particularly to the chemical plants in the area. My understanding is that no decision has been made about where any future control room would be located. The area is important to all of us—including because of its football team, Middlesbrough. I would be failing in my duty as the chairman of the all-party group on football if I did not give it a mention. I reassure my hon. Friend that rather than compromise the services there, the Government are committed to making services better, not worse, for patients and ambulance staff at every level. I note the comments that have been made, and I shall take them back to officials. However, I reinforce my point about the procedure that is open to hon. Members. I hope that the decision to be made by the NEAS board on 22 May will provide a robust ambulance service that meets patients’ needs both in my hon. Friend’s constituency and across the north-east. They deserve to have that. Question put and agreed to.