asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what provision he has made to provide an adequate ambulance service in (a) Cheshire and (b) London, in view of the considerable undermanning in these area health authorities.

Responsibility for providing ambulance services and for ensuring their operational efficiency and effectiveness is a matter for the Cheshire area health authority and the South West Thames regional health authority, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average number of hours worked by ambulance men in (a) Cheshire and (b) London; and how much of this is overtime.

:This information is not available centrally. The hon. Member may care to contact the Cheshire area health authority and the South West Thames regional health authority, which are responsible for ambulance services in Cheshire and London, respectively.