§ Mr. HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost of a session of dental treatment was in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement. [151530]
§ Mr. HuttonThe average gross cost per course of treatment in the General Dental Service is shown separately for children and adults in the table for England for each of the years 1979 to 1999–2000.
General Dental Service: Average gross cost in £ per course of treatment from 1979 to 1999/2000—England Year Children Adults 1979 6.60 13.78 1980 7.59 16.88 1981 8.63 19.38 1982 9.13 21.16 1983 9.73 22.32 1984 10.15 24.07 1985 10.52 24.79 1986–87 11.75 27.11 1987–88 13.01 29.41 1988–89 14.96 31.82 1989–90 16.49 33.30 1990–91 17.40 35.13 1991–92 18.81 36.11 1992–93 23.32 34.77 1993–94 25.32 31.93 1994–95 26.39 33.16 1995–96 28.07 33.26 1996–97 28.44 33.58 1997–98 26.05 32.52 1998–99 28.52 33.53 1999–2000 29.88 34.82 The figures from 1990–91 onwards are affected by the introduction of the new dental contract in October 1990. Under the contract, part of dentist's remuneration come 626W from registration payments rather than from treatment fees. For children, certain treatments were covered by these registration payments and no longer claimed for separately in courses of treatment. Since 1996–97, some of these children's items are again claimed for separately.