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Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the additional costs involved in providing temporary staff with enhanced contractual terms through NHS Professionals. 
Mr. Hutton: NHS Professionals charges a management fee to recoup operating costs currently set at a maximum of 7.5 per cent. This compares favourably with that of commercial agencies as highlighted in the Audit Commission report "Brief EncountersGetting the Best from Temporary Nursing Staff". This report indicated wide variations in the commission rates charged by agencies with an averaging charge of 20.5 per cent.
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Figures shown for Hospital and Community Health Services capital receipts.
|Planned (£ million)|
Figures shown for Hospital and Community Health Services planned capital receipts.
The Department does not hold information about the numbers of properties that are vacant at any one time. There are a variety of reasons why property might be vacant, including awaiting refurbishment/development for health care purposes, or awaiting sale. The NHS seeks to make the optimum use of the estate, and to keep the number of empty properties to a minimum.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many UK patients were treated in each overseas country (a) in and (b) outside the EEA in 200001; and how many patients from each country (i) in and (ii) outside the EEA were treated in the UK in each year. 
UK residents are treated abroad in a variety of circumstances. No information is held centrally on treatment obtained abroad privately and which are the patients' own responsibility. Patients are likewise personally responsible for arranging and paying for treatments given in countries with which the UK has no reciprocal health agreements, with the exception of a few instances where special approval has been given for the NHS to pay for highly specialised treatment for serious conditions.
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cost waiver basis there is generally little information available to the UK on numbers of patients treated in the partner country.
Regulation (EEC) 1408/71 is the EC legislation which co-ordinates the health care systems of the EEA. It allows for health care to be provided abroad in a variety of circumstances. Member states pay each other for these treatments but information available is generally on treatment costs rather than patient numbers.
For patients coming to the UK, no information is held by the Department on treatments in the private sector. Neither is information held centrally on the number of patients not normally resident in the UK who have been treated by the NHS.
The bilateral health agreements with the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, some Caribbean and Atlantic Overseas Territories, Gibraltar and Malta permit limited numbers of referrals to the UK specifically for treatment. Some information is available centrally in respect of emergency treatments provided in the UK under bilateral reciprocal health agreements and in respect of treatments provided under Regulation 1408/71.
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost to the NHS of (a) a cataract extraction and (b) a cataract extraction with a lens implant was in the last 12 months for which figures are available. 
|Unit cost £|
|Phakoemulsification cataract extraction with lens implant|
|Other cataract extraction with lens implant|
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2002, Official Report, column 833W, on hearing aids, when he expects to announce the latest wave of trusts sites to receive funding for the provision of digital hearing aids. 
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Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has determined the additional hospital trusts which will be able to offer digital hearing aids; and when an announcement will be made. 
Bolton Hospital NHS Trust
Bournemouth Primary Care Trust
Brighton Healthcare NHS Trust
Countess of Chester NHS Trust
Croydon and Surrey Downs and Mayday University Hospitals NHS Trust
Gloucestershire Royal Infirmary NHS Trust
Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Trust
Mid Cheshire Healthcare NHS Trust
North Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust
George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust
The Royal Free Hospital
Rochdale NHS Trust
Royal Devon and Exeter Hospitals NHS Trust
Salford Primary Care Trust
Sherwood Forest NHS Trust
West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust
Southampton University Hospital NHS Trust
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
Wolverhampton Healthcare NHS Trust
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust
Wirral Hospitals NHS Trust
Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospital NHS Trust
Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust
East Cheshire NHS Trust
Hastings and Rother NHS Trust
Royal Liverpool Hospitals
Peterborough Hospitals NHS Trust
North Devon Primary Care Trust.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many representations he has received from hon. Members regarding amending the Adoption and Children Bill to extend rights of adoption to unmarried couples; 
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(3) what consultation is taking place by his Department on amending the Adoption and Children Bill to extend rights of adoption to unmarried couples; 
(4) when his Department will announce his policy on amending the Adoption and Children Bill to extend rights of adoption to unmarried couples; 
(5) what his assessment is of the number of unmarried couples who would apply to adopt children if the Adoption and Children Bill were amended to allow them to do so. 
Jacqui Smith: We are looking thoroughly at the many and complex issues of partnership registration, rights and responsibilities. Adoption will, alongside all other relevant issues, be considered as part of that work.
Under the existing Adoption Act 1976 single people may adopt (regardless of sexual orientation), but only married couples may adopt jointly. It is open for one unmarried partner to adopt a child and for the other to obtain parental responsibility by applying for a residence order in respect of the child. The Adoption and Children Bill makes no change in this area. However the Government recognises that it is an issue for debate. We have taken a consultative approach throughout the progress of this Bill, listening to the views of a wide range of interested parties through the Special Standing Committee. A number of amendments, supported by Members from all sides of the House have been tabled for Report stage. We are giving these amendments careful consideration and they will be debated at Report.
Since the introduction of the Adoption and Children Bill on 19 October 2001, the Department has received ten letters regarding adoption by unmarried couples from hon. Members and over 350 from outside bodies and private individuals. In addition there have been five previous Parliamentary Questions answered and two meetings between Ministers and hon. Members on this topic.
A MORI poll commissioned by BAAF in September 2001, "Attitudes to Adoption", found that 41 per cent. of cohabiting couples say they have considered or would consider adopting a child in the future, compared to 25 per cent. of married couples. A copy will be placed in the Library.
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