Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on ensuring that NHS ambulances do not contribute to worsening air quality in urban areas.

No such discussions have been held. The proportion of ambulances that are hybrid or electrically powered is not collected centrally. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement advises that a small number of electric or alternative fuel vehicles are currently in use across the ambulance fleet.

The Delivering a Net Zero National Health Service strategy, published in October 2020, sets out the ambition that the National Health Service will transition to a zero-emission fleet, ahead of its commitment to become net zero by 2040. Work is underway to develop zero emission ambulances.