Mr. Robert Watt:

The consultants on the older contracts - the type B contracts - will still have their rights in public hospitals to treat private patients in effect until they retire. I think that was the point that Mr. Gloster mentioned.

We are seeing a significant reduction in private activity in public hospitals. We can see that in the income figures that come into the hospital. That means there is more capacity available for public patients and service is provided on the basis of need rather than status. Those private patients who would have been displaced then are being treated in private hospitals.