§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give, in 1990 prices, by local education authority, the level of capital spending on school buildings for each of the financial years since 1979.
§ Sir Wyn RobertsThe information is given in the following table. Figures for 1990–91 are not yet available.
by WHC(89)28 to arrange and provide adequate resources to undertake the screening of the teeth of children in state-funded schools at least three times in each child's school life. In areas of poor dental health and where availability of general dental services is poor, such screening may need to be more frequent—where necessary, annually.
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the level of funding his Department is making available in the current financial year for research into ways of improving the oral health of Welsh children and adults.
§ Mr. Nicholas BennettDuring the financial year the Department has made available a total of £89,000 specifically for research into oral health in Wales. In addition, all district health authorities are currently funding oral screening and epidemiological studies.
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to add fluoride to potable water supplies in Wales.
§ Mr. Nicholas BennettNone.
The 1985 Water (Fluoridation) Act provides for fluoridation of water supplies at the request of health authorities after a thorough publicity and consultation process. The Government believe it to be right that decisions should continue to be taken, as they have over 387W the past 30 years, at a local rather than national level. In the final analysis it is the task of the district health authority to determine the benefit.
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met representatives of the British Dental Association.
§ Mr. Nicholas BennettAs Minister with responsibility for health matters in the Principality I met representatives of the British Dental Associations General Dental Services Committee for Wales on 24 May. In addition, our officials are in regular touch with BDA representatives in Wales. The BDA also participates in the Welsh Dental Committee, which is the statutory advisory committee to the Secretary of State.
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the information that his Department holds on the epidemiology of the dental health needs of children and adults in Wales both on an all-Wales basis and on specific geographical areas within Wales.
§ Mr. Nicholas BennettThe latest available data on adult dental health, prepared from surveys carried out by OPCS on behalf of the Health Departments, are published by HMSO in the document "Adult Dental Health 1988 United Kingdom." Annual reports on child dental health are published in the journal "Community Dental Health": the latest results appeared in vol. 8, No. 2, July 1991. These studies are co-ordinated by the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry and are carried out by the staff of district health authorities' community dental services as part of their responsibility under circular WHC(89)28.
Standardised small district data are not held centrally. However, data are held by DHAs for assessing local health needs and it is intended that these should be published by districts as part of the report by their director of dental public health. The first reports are due to be prepared by September 1991 to inform the annual review meetings of each DHA.
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish for each health authority in each of the past four years the funding for oral surgery that his Department has undertaken as part of the waiting list initiative.
§ Mr. Nicholas BennettThe information is given in the following table:
District health authority 1987–88 £ 1988–89 £ 1989–90 £ 1990–91 £ Clwyd — — 1,240 — Gwynedd 6,500 13,880 16,600 — Mid Glamorgan 11,400 — — — West Glamorgan — — 7,300 — TOTAL 17,900 13,880 25,150 — No other health authority has received funding under the waiting times initiative for oral surgery in the last four years.