To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his latest estimate is of the average (a) target and (b) actual ambulance response time to 999 calls in (i) urban and (ii) rural areas; and if he will make a statement. (300288)

The Department no longer classifies ambulance trusts as urban or rural, and therefore performance data is no longer reported against these categories.

All ambulance trusts are required to meet the same national response time standards irrespective of location. Category A calls (those presenting conditions that may be immediately life threatening) should be responded to within eight minutes in 75 per cent. of cases and Category B calls (those conditions that are serious but not immediately life threatening) should be responded to within 19 minutes in 95 per cent. of cases.