§ Mr. Nigel GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the average time, and details of the range of times which it is taking the Department of Health and Social Security agency benefits unit in Newcastle upon Tyne to process claims from dental patients for payments for treatment.
§ Mr. PortilloNo separate details of clearance times are available in respect of dental claims. Information derived from a recent small sample of all claims for remission or refund of NHS charges suggests that about 43 per cent. of claims are cleared within 15 working days and about 84 per cent. within 20 working days. The average clearance time is a little under 15 working days, but this figure masks a wide variation in clearance times due to the need to seek further information in some cases.