§ Jackie BallardTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the amount of unspent Investing in Dentistry funds for 1997 –98; and whether that balance was re-allocated to the 1998 –99 funds. [81911]
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§ Mr. DenhamThe investing in dentistry scheme was announced in September 1997 and up to £9 million was made available to meet expenditure in that financial year, 1997–98. Grants to the value of £3,836,408 had been approved by the end of March 1998, although by that point grant payments dispensed, and the estimated cost of the additional treatment fees generated by the extra patients registered, had together totalled about £175,000. This is because there is often a period of several months after the approval stage before the additional staff or facilities are in place to receive patients, when the grant becomes payable. Under the current annuality conventions, any money which has been voted by Parliament for a particular year, but which is not needed to meet expenditure chargeable to that year, cannot be carried forward into the next financial year. However, in 1998 –99, a further £10 million was made available for the investing in dentistry scheme.