Dentists (Hansard, 18 July 1991)

§ Mr. Gareth Wardell
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many local dental committees in Wales he has met since his appointment; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. Nicholas Bennett
None. The local dental committee is a statutory committee created to provide advice principally to the family health services authority for its locality and also to its district health authority via the district dental committee. However, our officials are in regular touch with dentists' representatives in Wales.

§ Mr. Gareth Wardell
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will consider asking the family health service authorities to conduct a survey of all dental premises to enable a quality index to be published of the quality and standards of the premises and equipment and which can be made available to patients.

§ Mr. Nicholas Bennett
As from 1 October 1991 general dental practitioners will be obliged to compile and make available a patient information leaflet about the provision of general dental services at their practice premises. Dentists are already obliged to provide information to family health service authorities and a survey of the kind suggested is not necessary.

§ Mr. Gareth Wardell
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library the data collected by the Dental Practitioners Board on the number of patients cared for by local dental practitioners.

§ Mr. Nicholas Bennett
At the end of June 1991 there were 1,058,548 patients registered with general dental practitioners in Wales.

§ Mr. Gareth Wardell
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library a copy of local directories of dental practices produced by the family health services authorities in Wales.

§ Mr. Nicholas Bennett
No. By regulation FHSAs are obliged to make a copy of the local dental list available for inspection at their offices and such other places as appears to be convenient. In practice most FHSAs also arrange for copies to be placed in main libraries and post offices where they may be inspected by members of the public.

§ Mr. Gareth Wardell
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish for each family health services authority in Wales(a) the number of grants paid to dentists to set up a new practice or expand an existing one in an area identified by the FHSA as in need of more dentists and (b) the total value of those grants.

§ Mr. Nicholas Bennett
The Clwyd family health services authority is the only authority in Wales to have awarded a location incentive scheme grant to a dentist in its locality. The total value of the grant is £7,500.

§ Mr. Gareth Wardell
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he intends to introduce regulations to empower family health services authorities to inspect dental surgeries.

§ Mr. Nicholas Bennett
Action is being taken to consolidate the NHS (General Dental Services) Regulations and a regulation to empower family health services authorities to inspect dental surgeries will be included when these consolidated regulations are introduced next year.