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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 22 November 2005
PRIME MINISTER
Date-based Export Scheme
Tim Farron: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions his Department has had with representatives of the European Commission regarding the lifting of the date-based export scheme; and when the scheme will be lifted. [31084]
The Prime Minister: The Government are in regular contact with the European Commission at all levels about lifting the beef export ban which will end the need for the date-based export scheme.
HEALTH
Mental Health Bill
11. Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which black and other ethnic organisations have been consulted on the race equality assessment of the Mental Health Bill. [30519]
Mr. Byrne: Our Race Equality Impact Assessment Advisory Group included representation from groups such as the Afiya Trust, Diverse Minds and the All Wales Black and Minority Ethnic Mental Health Group. In addition to consultation events, close consultation with the Black and Minority Ethnic Mental Health Network, focus groups in 13 hospitals and web based consultation, we have also had direct submissions from groups such as the African and Caribbean Mental Health Commission and from the Royal College of Psychiatrists Ethnic Minority Group.
17. Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what languages the document on the Mental Health Bill race equality consultation is available. [30525]
Ms Rosie Winterton: There has not been a formal consultation document. Consultation has been an integral part of the race equality impact assessment on the Bill. At our recent race consultation events, language co-ordinators were available to ensure that this was not a barrier to participation.
18. Mr. Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to be in a position to publish the Mental Health Bill. [30526]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Mental Health Bill was in the Queen's Speech for this session. We plan to introduce it when parliamentary time allows.
NHS Dentistry
13. Mrs. Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what effect the new dental contract is havingon remuneration for dentists undertaking NHS work. [30521]
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20. Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what effect the new dental contract is having on remuneration for dentists undertaking NHS work. [30528]
Ms Rosie Winterton: A committed NHS dentist typically earns an average £80,000 per year. New dental contracts are being introduced from April. Dentists' NHS incomes are guaranteed at current earnings levels until 2009. Dentists in personal dental services arrangements agree a contract with fixed monthly remuneration. This will apply to new general dental services contracts from April.
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of pensioners who do not have access to an NHS dentist. [24284]
Ms Rosie Winterton: No estimate has been made of the numbers of pensioners in England who may not have access to an national health service dentist. The vast majority of people who contact NHS Direct are given details of practices where they can receive urgent treatment.
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists have been practising in the Hemel Hempstead constituency in each year since 1997. [25559]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the table.
Source:
Dental Practice Board
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the results of the strategic review of oral health for older people announced by the Chief Dental Officer in April to be published; and if she will make a statement. [25971]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The strategic review of oral health of older people will be published by the British Society of Gerodontology in December and launched at their meeting on 8 December.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish the indicative budgets for NHS dentistry for 2006–07 that will be provided to each primary care trust from April 2006. [27553]
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Ms Rosie Winterton: We intend to publish the actual budgets for each primary care trust for dentistry at the end of November.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to publish details of the criteria for the new Units of Dental Activity. [28071]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Under the new arrangements for local commissioning of national health service dentistry from April 2006, units of dental activity (UDA) refer to courses of treatment that are weighted to reflect their relative complexity. The three main categories of courses of treatment correspond to the three bands in the proposed new patient charging system, which was published for three months consultation over the summer. The proposed weightings for different courses of treatments, that is the number of UDA to which they correspond, were set out in the draft general dental services (GDS) and personal dental services (PDS) contract regulations, which were published in August 2005. The final version of those proposed regulations will be laid before Parliament shortly.
At the end of November, GDS dentists are due to receive information showing their level of activity, expressed in terms of UDA, during the reference period, 1 October 2004 to 30 September 2005, and their NHS earnings during the same period. Primary care trusts (PCTs) and dentists will use this as the basis for agreeing new annual contract values and the number of UDA that the dentist is expected to carry out over the course of the year in return for this annual contract value. GDS dentists will be guaranteed an annual contract value based on their reference period earnings, uplifted to reflect 2006–07 pay and prices, provided the dentists agree with their PCT an annual level of UDA to be carried out during 2006–07 equivalent to 95 per cent. of their activity during the reference period.
PDS dentists are due to receive similar information from PCTs at the end of November. PDS dentists will be guaranteed an annual contract value worth at least that of their current PDS agreement, uplifted to 2006–07 pay and prices, in return for carrying out annually an appropriate level of UDA agreed with their PCT.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists have been employed in each year since 1997 under (a) general dental service contracts and (b) personal dental service contracts. [25270]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the table.
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Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to increase the number of NHS dentists. [25206]
Ms Rosie Winterton: We announced on 9 November, that 1,453 whole-time national health service dentists had been recruited since April 2004, contributing to a net increase of 1,100 dentists at the end of September 2005, according to figures supplied by the Dental Practice Board.
We also announced that 189 additional dental students had begun their studies at dental schools in the United Kingdom, 19 more than the 170 target. By 2009–10, there will be approximately 850 more undergraduates in training than in 2004–05.
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