§ Mr. Gerald Howarthasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many man hours his Department estimates to have been lost through dental ailments during each of the last five years.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeIt is not possible to provide a comprehensive estimate of the number of man hours lost through dental disease. The only statistics available relate to those claiming sickness benefit in respect of dental and oral conditions in the period to 1982–83. The following number of days of certified incapacity through this cause for periods of four days or more were recorded in the last five years for which we have statistics:
Days 1978–79 733,000 1979–80 866,000 1980–81 761,000 1981–82 664,000 1982–83 642,000