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NHS Dentistry

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the level of NHS dentistry in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [80838]

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: In Wales at the end of September 1998, 60 per cent. of children and 46 per cent. of adults were registered with NHS dentists, having visited them at least once during the preceding 15 months.

NHS net spending on general dental services in Wales in 1997/98 rose to £56.2 million, a 6 per cent. increase over the previous year. Over the same period, the number of courses of NHS treatment, for adults in Wales, rose by nearly 7 per cent. to 1.446 million. The number of dentists treating patients under NHS arrangements in Wales reached an all-time high of 960 by the end of 1998.

The Welsh Office dental initiative, first launched in 1995, has enabled Welsh Health Authorities to offer unprecedented levels of grant (up to £50,000 in some areas) to attract new dentists and for the expansion of the Community Dental Service. It has been very successful for Wales as a whole but there are still some areas where certain categories of patients may find it difficult to register with an NHS dentist close to home.

The initiative was modified and re-launched in July 1998. The modified scheme provides more flexibility in terms of the extent and length of commitment required and offers more flexible conditions which are specifically designed to address the particular problems of rural areas.

Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

Macpherson Inquiry

Mr. Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made

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of the implications for his Department of the Macpherson inquiry recommendations; and if he will make a statement. [80531]

Ms Hodge: The Home Office published an Action Plan on 23 March containing the Government's detailed response to the specific recommendation of the Macpherson inquiry. The plan commits the Government to setting out over the coming months how they will take forward their broader vision of an anti-racist society.

The Government have already announced that they will legislate to apply the Race Relations Act 1976 not just to the police service, but across public services as whole. The Government are seeking to ensure that policy development takes account of any race equality implications.

There were three recommendations that related specifically to education and a detailed response to them is contained in the Action Plan.

In summary, the Government agree that the National Curriculum must properly reflect the needs of a diverse society and we are actively considering the recommendation for preventing and addressing racism in schools. Guidance will be issued to make it clear that schools must record all racist incidents and this information will be made available to parents, governors and Local Education Authorities. The Government do not, however, agree with the recommendation to publish the number of racist incidents on a school by school basis, which would risk discouraging the reporting of racist incidents. On inspection of schools, Ofsted will ensure that the important issues raised in the report are addressed during inspections and that appropriate training is put in place for Inspectors.

Work Permits

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many work permits were granted during the last 12 months. [80644]

Ms Hodge: During the 12-month period from 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999 a total of 68,527 work permits were granted.

Grant Maintained Schools

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will state aggregated by local education authority and for the three most recent years for which information is available (a) the total annual maintenance grant paid to grant maintained schools, (b) the total annual maintenance grant paid to grant maintained schools divided by the number of pupils, (c) the total of special purpose and other non-capital grants paid to grant maintained schools and (d) the total of special purpose and other non-capital grants paid to grant maintained schools divided by the number of pupils. [80671]

Ms Estelle Morris [holding answer 15 April 1999]: The calculation of the annual maintenance grants (AMG), and of the special purpose and other non-capital grants (SPGs) for Grant Maintained (GM) schools, has been a matter for the Funding Agency for Schools. I have placed in the Library tables which contain figures for the AMG by Local Education Authority, both in total and per pupil,

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for the years 1998-99, 1997-98 and 1996-97. The tables also give figures for SPGs, both in total and per pupil, for the years 1997-98 and 1996-97. These figures have been calculated using data recently provided by the Funding Agency.

School Budgets

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for each local education authority in England for the three most recent years for which information is available (a) the budgeted expenditure per pupil and (b) the total budgeted expenditure within (i) the aggregate schools' budget, (ii) the general schools' budget and (iii) the general schools' budget allocated to capital charges. [80670]

Ms Estelle Morris [holding answer 15 April 1999]: I have placed in the Library a table which shows, for each local education authority in England for the financial years 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99, (a) the budgeted expenditure per pupil and (b) the total budgeted expenditure each within (i) the Aggregated Schools Budget, (ii) the General Schools Budget and (iii) the General Schools Budget allocated to capital.

New Deal (Young People)

Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the average length of time spent on the Gateway of the New Deal for 18 to 25-year-olds by those (a) going directly into unsubsidised employment, (b) entering each of the New Deal Options subsequently chosen, (c) transferring to other benefits, (d) taking other options and (e) for whom no ultimate destination is known. [81110]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The information set out in the following table shows the average length of time spent on the New Deal Gateway by immediate destination, for those young people who had left the Gateway by the end of January 1999.

Destination on leaving the Gateway	Average length of time spent on Gateway (in days)
Unsubsidised employment	70
Options
Employer Option	68
Full-time Education or Training Option	91
Voluntary Sector Option	123
Environment Task Force Option	128
Other benefits	79
Other known destinations	82
Unknown destinations	76

Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of those joining each of the options of the New Deal for 18 to 24-year-olds in each month since January 1998 have had (a) no qualifications (b) foundation level qualifications, (c) NVQ Level 1, (d) NVQ Level 2, (e) NVQ Level 3, (f) NVQ Level 4 and (g) other qualifications. [81093]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The information is set out in the following tables and is drawn from data listing qualifications supplied by the participant.

Percentage

	Highest qualification held on entry to New Deal
	None	Other	Foundation	NVQ/SVQ Level 1	NVQ/SVQ Level 2	NVQ/SVQ Level 3	NVQ/SVQ Level 4+	Total
	Month of entering of employer option
January 1998	27	3	0	24	21	18	6	100
February 1998	16	2	8	26	38	7	3	100
March 1998	20	8	8	24	30	9	2	100
April 1998	26	8	8	16	30	7	5	100
May 1998	21	18	7	18	25	7	3	100
June 1998	24	22	7	14	24	6	2	100
July 1998	24	21	6	16	25	6	2	100
August 1998	27	23	7	12	23	6	2	100
September 1998	24	24	5	14	25	6	2	100
October 1998	26	23	6	14	23	6	2	100
November 1998	24	23	7	13	25	6	2	100
December 1998	23	24	6	12	28	5	2	100
January 1999	23	20	8	16	23	6	4	100
Total	24	21	7	15	25	6	2	100
	Month of entering full time education and training option
January 1998	29	0	0	18	41	0	12	100
February 1998	19	0	10	32	29	5	5	100
March 1998	24	3	13	25	28	4	4	100
April 1998	21	6	11	25	27	7	3	100
May 1998	26	6	11	23	22	6	6	100
June 1998	29	13	11	20	20	4	4	100
July 1998	30	16	10	18	20	4	2	100
August 1998	30	21	9	17	18	3	2	100
September 1998	27	24	7	16	21	4	1	100
October 1998	29	22	9	16	20	4	1	100
November 1998	32	19	9	16	18	4	2	100
December 1998	32	20	8	16	19	3	1	100
January 1998	33	20	8	17	17	3	2	100
Total	29	20	8	17	20	4	2	100
	Month of entering voluntary sector option
January 1998	0	0	20	0	0	40	40	100
February 1998	0	0	13	33	27	20	7	100
March 1998	13	3	13	11	45	8	8	100
April 1998	23	0	10	20	17	3	27	100
May 1998	16	9	11	17	25	12	11	100
June 1998	15	11	15	20	25	7	7	100
July 1998	23	15	11	18	21	6	6	100
August 1998	27	21	7	16	17	7	4	100
September 1998	29	24	8	14	15	7	3	100
October 1998	28	23	7	16	18	5	2	100
November 1998	29	23	6	14	20	5	2	100
December 1998	31	20	6	16	18	5	3	100
January 1999	32	19	8	15	18	6	2	100
Total	28	20	8	16	19	6	4	100
	Month of entering environment task force option
February 1998	14	0	14	0	14	29	29	100
March 1998	19	7	7	33	11	4	19	100
April 1998	27	4	15	17	21	6	10	100
May 1998	33	8	4	16	20	8	10	100
June 1998	35	4	17	20	16	4	5	100
July 1998	44	6	13	19	11	4	3	100
August 1998	43	12	12	15	14	4	1	100
September 1998	45	18	9	15	10	2	1	100
October 1998	48	16	8	14	11	2	1	100
November 1998	50	17	7	11	12	2	1	100
December 1998	49	15	8	14	10	2	0	100
January 1999	47	16	7	13	13	2	2	100
Total	46	15	9	14	12	3	2	100

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Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the procedure under the New Deal for Young Unemployed for dealing with a person who disappears from an option and then returns to claim benefit. [81363]

19 Apr 1999 : Column: 434

Mr. Andrew Smith: Young people who return to claim Jobseekers Allowance within 13 weeks of leaving a New Deal option are taken back into New Deal. All cases are referred to adjudication for a decision on whether the young person had "good cause" for leaving the option early.

19 Apr 1999 : Column: 435

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