§ Mr. BaronTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to introduce legislation to prevent NHS organisations from entering into a contract with a recruitment agency that has not signed up to his Department's code of practice on the international recruitment of health care professionals. [103073]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 17 March 2003]: There are no immediate plans to introduce legislation to prevent national health service organisations from entering into contracts with agencies who are not adhering to the code of practice. The Department has not been made aware of any trusts that have contravened the code. Monitoring procedures are in place and regular communications issued reminding trusts to only recruit from agencies adhering to the code of practice.