§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists there are in the Brent and Harrow Health Authority area; what steps he is taking to increase the number of NHS dentists in the Brent and Harrow Health Authority area; and if he will make a statement. [128753]
§ Mr. HuttonBrent and Harrow Health Authority dissolved on 1 April 2002 and North West London Strategic Health Authority is now the local headquarters of the national health service. However the latest available figures show that there were 221 general dental services dentists whose main work was in Brent and Harrow HA at 30 September 2002.
The proposals in the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill, currently before Parliament, will underpin a modernised high-quality primary dental service provided through contracts between primary care trusts and dental practices properly integrated with the rest of the NHS.
North West London SHA will ensure that as new primary care centres are developed locally, dentistry will be part of the consideration of which services can be brought together for the convenience of patients.
§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the prescribing budget was for the Brent and Harrow Health Authority for the financial years(a) 2000–01, (b) 2001–02 and (c) 2002–03; and if he will make a statement. [128759]
§ Mr. HuttonThe information requested is not held centrally. Information from North West London Strategic Health Authority is shown in the following tables. Brent and Harrow Health Authority was dissolved on 1 April 2002 and Brent Primary Care Trust and Harrow PCT now have responsibility for setting prescribing budgets in Brent and Harrow respectively.
Prescribing budget for Brent and Harrow Health Authority £000 Actual Budget 2000–01 45,702 45,344 2001–02 49,960 49,538 839W
Combined prescribing budget for Brent PCT £000 Actual> Budget 2002–03 58,722 56,055 Each year the Department of Health issues guidance to the national health service containing advice about factors that should be taken into account in setting prescribing budgets. However it is for individual primary care trusts to set their prescribing budgets.