To ask the Minister of Health whether earnings generated from (i) out-of-hours General Dental Services; (ii) the Personal Dental Services Pilot will be considered eligible for purposes of calculating maternity pay and allowances for General Dental Practitioners.

General Dental Services earnings from participation in the Out of Hours scheme are included in the allowances calculations for General Dental Practitioners.

Personal Dental Services Pilots are commissioned under various arrangements, determined during the development stage of each pilot. Full consideration is given to how payment arrangements impact upon practice and practitioner payments and allowances, as this will impact the overall cost of the pilot, informing the decision on whether or not it is ultimately commissioned.

The payment arrangements for any pilot will be clearly defined in advance of any General Dental Practitioner agreeing to participate.

There are currently no plans to alter the payment arrangements under which any Personal Dental Services Pilots are commissioned.