§ 73. Mr. Harveyasked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the increasing need for qualified dentists, especially in view of the calling 1088 up for military service of civilian practitioners; whether he has had any communication with the representatives of the dental profession with a view to making use, as a war-time measure, of the services of qualified refugees who are at present not permitted to practice; and, if not, whether he will take steps to see that better use is made of these qualified dentists in view of the arrangements already successfully made for the war-time employment of qualified foreign doctors?
§ Miss HorsbrughMy right hon. Friend is fully alive to the need for making all possible use of the dental man-power "available in the country and the question of facilitating the employment of alien dentists with registerable qualifications has recently been discussed by my Department with the Home Office, the Board of Education, and representatives of the dental profession. The School Medical Service probably offers the best scope for the employment of these dentists and a memorandum was issued to local Education Authorities on this subject in April last by the Board of Education. Permission to practise could not be given to dentists not possessing registrable qualifications without admitting a standard lower than that required of British applicants. This course has obvious objections and is not, I might add, contemplated in the case of doctors by the Medical Register (Temporary Registration) Orders, to which my hon. Friend refers.