§ Mr. HunterTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the level of funding of the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority.
§ Mr. FreemanFrom 1 April 1990 allocations to regions will be based upon a basis of weighted capitation of residents. Regions will in turn begin the process of allocating to districts next year on the same basis but taking into account additional local factors. This basis will provide a fairer basis of revenue funding to all districts. The details are set out more fully in "Working for Patients".
280WSwitching the emphasis of the community dental service away from children will enable it to commit a significant proportion of its resources to health education, to the treatment of priority groups such as handicapped adults and the elderly, to identify the dental needs of the population, and generally to act as a safety net for treatment for those whose needs cannot be met by general dental practitioners.
The community dental service continues to carry out dental screening of schoolchildren, and a patient who is identified as being in need of dental treatment is advised to seek it from a general dental practitioner. The changes will of course be monitored.