§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the range of the capital grant made by the Welsh Office to support salaried National Health Service dentists in Wales since the introduction of the scheme; and what repayment provisions apply if the dentists subsequently leave the NHS. [63148]
Mr. Jon Owen JonesCapital funding of around £220,000 was paid to the Family Health Services Authorities of Gwynedd and Dyfed over the financial 397W years 1993–94, 1994–95 and 1995–96 to meet the costs incurred by those Authorities in refurbishing and equipping surgery premises to a clinical standard suitable for use by dentists employed by those Authorities. No repayment provisions apply. For the most part, the investment was in premises also used for the provision of Community Dental services and I understand that they are still in NHS use.
§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many salaried dentists have been employed in Wales since the Welsh Office set up its emergency scheme to maintain the availability of the NHS dental service; and of these how many(a) are currently working within the NHS dental service, (b) have transferred to provide a private dental service and (c) have ceased to provide a dental service in Wales. [63157]
Mr. Jon Owen JonesThe number of salaried dentist posts established by Family Health Services Authorities in Wales, and successor Health Authorities, has varied during the period since the first post was filled in 1993. The maximum in post at any one time was 7, in 1996, but there are none at present. Information on the whereabouts of the dentists who were formerly employed by the Authorities is not held centrally.
The Welsh Office dental initiative has been an outstanding success in attracting new dentists to those parts of Wales where they are needed most. The grant scheme offers a better and more economic long term alternative to the salaried option in addressing inadequacies in service provision.