To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment (a) her Department and (b) organisations responsible to her Department have conducted into the correlation between survivability and journey times to accident and emergency departments in (i) Surrey Primary Care Trust, (ii) South East Coast Strategic Health Authority and (iii) England; and if she will make a statement. (143277)

The Department does not routinely undertake assessments of this kind, either for England or for particular localities.

It is a matter for the local national health service to ensure there is appropriate provision of urgent and emergency care services that are responsive to people's needs. This includes accident and emergency provision. The aim should be to provide safe, high quality care as close to home as is compatible with clinical safety. Local organisations, including primary care trusts and strategic health authorities, may make use of a range of information available to them when considering the planning and provision of local services.