Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists there were in (a) North East Lincolnshire PrimaryCare Trust, (b) North Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust and (c) Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust in each year since 1997.[193500]Miss Melanie Johnson: [holding answer 25 October 2004]: The number of general and personal dental service dentists in theNorth and East Lincolnshire area by primary care trust (PCT) at September each year from 1997 to 2004 is shown in the table.Number of general and personal service dentists at September each year_________________________________________________________________________________________________.PCT 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004North East Lincolnshire 46 46 50 54 51 50 48 49North Lincolnshire 35 36 40 42 44 40 44 43East Lincolnshire 61 65 71 73 79 81 82 81_________________________________________________________________________________________________.Source: Dental Practice BoardDentists are counted in each PCT in which they practise.PCTs were established in 2002 and therefore the areas have been defined using practice postcodes within the existing PCTs.