Written question asked by Anthony Steen (Conservative) on Wednesday, 11 February 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 26 February 2004. It was answered by Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Labour) on Thursday, 26 February 2004 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will ringfence the expenditure of primary care trusts for dental treatment. - (Holding answer 23 February 2004).

Answer: Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ring fence the expenditure of primary care trusts for dental treatment. [155436] Ms Rosie Winterton: [holding answer 23 February 2004]: The resources for general dental services (CDS) which are currently held centrally will be devolved to primary care trusts (PCTs) from 1 April 2005. PCTs will be notified of these devolved dentistry budgets for 2005-06 during Autumn 2004. The dentistry budgets will be issued alongside PCTs' general allocations. The allocations will include funds currently spent on emergency dental services. We have guaranteed that dentists working in the GDS will have an automatic right to a contract under the new arrangements and that their gross earnings will be protected over the transition period of three years. During this period, PCTs' newly devolved dentistry allocations will represent a minimum level of spend on national health service dentistry which PCTs must maintain.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 418 c540W;418 c560W; 155436
Session: 2003-04
Subjects: Dental services Expenditure Primary care trusts Ringfenced funding
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk