§ Chris GraylingTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what provisions he is making for the future expansion of NHS dentistry. [55574]
§ Mr. LammyOver the last 18 months we have spent £100 million on modernising National Health Service dentistry. £10 million of this was for the Dental Care Development Fund and the Dentistry Action Plan Fund to support local plans to improve access. This money enables health authorities to assist dentists seeking to set up new practices and to expand and modernise existing ones.
During 2001 the Chief Dental Officer led a working group to look at "Options for Change" to modernise NHS dentistry building on the Government's strategy document "Modernising NHS dentistry: Implementing the NHS Plan", published in September 2000.
This group has completed its deliberations and the Government announced on 25 April that we intend to move forward plans to reform NHS dentistry developed by the "Options for Change" group.