Mr. John O'Dwyer:

The Dutch system covers all health suppliers. One does not need such cover and it is open to how we design our system. The Health Consumer Powerhouse, an accredited body, analyses health provision in all countries. For the past three years it has made the Dutch system number one, stating UHI is one of the key reasons for its success. It is not a panacea, however. Competition among providers happens but not to the extent the Dutch wanted. While it has its minuses, the people in Holland are very happy with their health care system.

On the question of solvency, our number one objective is to ensure we are prepared to get full authorisation in the next 12 months. We have been voluntarily compliant with the consumer protection code but, clearly, solvency is an issue for us. One significant determinant of the solvency position will be how good and tight the risk equalisation system is. We will work with the Government on this but there are many options we are exploring.