HC Deb 20 June 1988 vol 135 cc413-4W
Mr. Wareing

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many references have been dealt with by officers of the dental reference services, showing how many were in respect of(a) treatment and (b) estimates for dental treatment.

Mrs. Currie

In the year 1987–88 dental officers in England examined patients in the following numbers of cases:

Number
Proposed treatment 13,724
Completed treatment 14,419
TOTAL 28,143

Unemployment benefit as a percentage of average weekly net1 earnings
All males All manually employed males
Single person Married couple Married couple plus 2 children Single person Married couple Married couple plus 2 children
Date per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent.
November 1978 24.1 37.0 41.7 26.1 40.0 44.9
November 1979 23.2 35.8 39.9 25.3 38.9 43.3

Mr. Wareing

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he proposes to take in the light of the Benner report on the review of the dental reference service; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Currie

The report has been sent to interested parties and their comments invited by 31 July. No decision as to whether or not its recommendations should be implemented will be taken before then.