To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the merits of a national audit to assess the adequacy of arrangements made by hospital trusts to fill NHS doctor rotas; and if he will make a statement. (269152)

Strategic health authorities are assessing the adequacy of arrangements made by hospital trusts to fill national health service doctor rotas as part of their quality assurance monitoring for the implementation of the European Working Time Directive.

The UK Government’s assessment of the national position was submitted to the European Commission at the end of January 2009.

This information is contained in the notification to the European Commission which has been placed in the Library.