❓ Two parliamentary Questions on Notice are presented. The first concerns vocational education funding, with the Premier promising a response despite it not being in his portfolio. The second addresses improvements to public dental services for low-income individuals, with the Minister for Health detailing programs and wait time reductions.
AnsweredQoN 594Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
VOCATIONAL
EDUCATION AND TRAINING — FUNDING
594. Mr M. McGOWAN to the
Premier:
I have a supplementary question. The Premier often says that.
Will he provide an answer to the question by the close of business today?
EDUCATION AND TRAINING — FUNDING
594. Mr M. McGOWAN to the
Premier:
I have a supplementary question. The Premier often says that.
Will he provide an answer to the question by the close of business today?
AnswerView source ↗
My record on answering questions is pretty damn good. Neither
education nor vocational training is within my portfolio. I do not have an
answer readily available, but I undertake to get one.
PUBLIC DENTAL SERVICES
595. Mr I.M. BRITZA to the
Minister for Health:
I note that there is a public dental program for affordable
dental care for people on low incomes. Can the minister advise the house what
the government is doing to improve dental services for people on low incomes?
Dr
K.D. HAMES replied:
I certainly can! I thank the member for the question. It was
interesting that he was telling me before we started question time that his son
has just had care under the school dental program. He said that it was very
good and very successful. I am pleased to hear that.
There are two components of the dental treatment that is
provided by the state government. The adult program covers people with Health
Care Cards and pensioner concessions. They are eligible for subsidised general
or emergency dental care. That program assists about 80 000 people a year,
which is pretty good. We either employ dentists directly—there is a
cohort that do that—or go to the private sector and contract out
specific services for specific patients. We also have the school dental scheme,
which entitles all schoolchildren to free dental care. Each year 245 000
students are involved in the school dental service. A team of professionals
visit schools. There are 41 mobile school dental therapy vans in Western
Australia that travel the length and breadth of the state to give children
dental care. We have had trouble with the wait times for adults. Indeed, it has
been difficult getting dentists because they do not earn anywhere near as much
doing that work as they do in the private sector. It has been difficult to
attract and retain dentists and their assistants to do that work. Over the last
year, the team that works in the dental service has worked exceptionally hard
and has been able to reduce the waitlist from 23 months, which everyone would
say is totally unacceptable, to just seven months. That is a twofold reduction
in the time people are waiting for dental services. Hon Kevin Minson, who was a
member of this house, is part of that dental team. He and the rest of the group
put in a lot of effort to make sure that the waiting times came down. I
congratulate them for it.
education nor vocational training is within my portfolio. I do not have an
answer readily available, but I undertake to get one.
PUBLIC DENTAL SERVICES
595. Mr I.M. BRITZA to the
Minister for Health:
I note that there is a public dental program for affordable
dental care for people on low incomes. Can the minister advise the house what
the government is doing to improve dental services for people on low incomes?
Dr
K.D. HAMES replied:
I certainly can! I thank the member for the question. It was
interesting that he was telling me before we started question time that his son
has just had care under the school dental program. He said that it was very
good and very successful. I am pleased to hear that.
There are two components of the dental treatment that is
provided by the state government. The adult program covers people with Health
Care Cards and pensioner concessions. They are eligible for subsidised general
or emergency dental care. That program assists about 80 000 people a year,
which is pretty good. We either employ dentists directly—there is a
cohort that do that—or go to the private sector and contract out
specific services for specific patients. We also have the school dental scheme,
which entitles all schoolchildren to free dental care. Each year 245 000
students are involved in the school dental service. A team of professionals
visit schools. There are 41 mobile school dental therapy vans in Western
Australia that travel the length and breadth of the state to give children
dental care. We have had trouble with the wait times for adults. Indeed, it has
been difficult getting dentists because they do not earn anywhere near as much
doing that work as they do in the private sector. It has been difficult to
attract and retain dentists and their assistants to do that work. Over the last
year, the team that works in the dental service has worked exceptionally hard
and has been able to reduce the waitlist from 23 months, which everyone would
say is totally unacceptable, to just seven months. That is a twofold reduction
in the time people are waiting for dental services. Hon Kevin Minson, who was a
member of this house, is part of that dental team. He and the rest of the group
put in a lot of effort to make sure that the waiting times came down. I
congratulate them for it.
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