(1) For each broad type of service categorised in the Medicare statistics, what percentage of services is (a) direct billed and (b) billed at or below Medicare Schedule fees.

(2) What do the figures referred to in part (1) indicate about the (a) supply of specialist services, (b) inflation of specialists' incomes and (c) extent of competition among the various specialist groups.

(1) Details of the percentage of services that were bulk billed, by broad type of service in 1999-00, are available on the Health Insurance Commission web site at www.hic.gov.au. Details of the percentage of services that were billed at or below Medicare Schedule fees, by broad type of service in 1999-00, are as follows:

(2) It is difficult to draw any conclusions about specialist supply; inflation of specialists' incomes; and extent of specialist competition from the data in part (1).

For example, while it is often claimed that a greater supply of doctors results in increased bulk billing, the ACT has a relatively high supply of GPs and a relatively low rate of bulk billing for GP services.

Similarly, the data in part (1) prima facie suggest a difference in supply in doctors conducting operations and doctors assisting at operations that does not exist.