§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent initiatives he has taken to assist the recruitment of dentists to rural areas in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [1750]
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesThe £3 million initiative, announced in September last year, enabled Welsh health authorities to offer grants to attract new dentists, into those parts of Wales where they are most needed, and to expand the community dental service.
The initiative has been very successful. Just under £2 million has been offered as grants for 56 new dentists. Twenty-seven of them are already in place and another 14 should be operational by January 1997. Grants of £25,000 are still available to attract new dentists to certain part of mid, west, and north, Wales.
695W
§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State foe Wales (1) how many NHS dental practitioners there were in Wales in(a) each year since 1990 and (b) at present; and if he will make a statement; [1853]
(2) how many dental practitioners undertaking national health service work there were in Wales by county in each year since 1989; and if he will make a statement. [1858]
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesThe available information is given in the following table.
Number of general dental practitioners treating at least some NHS patients1 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 Clwyd 108 111 105 102 114 117 125 Dyfed 96 98 101 104 104 105 101 Gwent 123 125 139 135 135 138 143 Gwynedd 66 69 65 66 67 66 65 Mid Glamorgan 135 134 123 134 126 125 129 Powys 34 34 36 35 34 33 35 South Glamorgan 132 131 129 127 133 133 145 West Glamorgan 133 135 134 128 130 132 133 Wales 827 837 832 831 843 849 876 1 At 30 September.
19961 Bro Taf 216 Dyfed Powys 136 Gwent 158 Morgannwg 170 North Wales 183 Wales 863 1 At 30 June.