To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in Staffordshire are awaiting registration with an NHS dentist; and if he will make a statement. (179494)

The information is not held centrally by the Department.

Increasing the number of patients seen within national health service dental services is now a formal priority in the NHS Operating Framework for 2008-09 and we have supported this with a very substantial 11 per cent. uplift in overall allocations to primary care trusts from 1 April 2008.