§ 1. Mr. Lipsonasked the Minister of Health whether in view of the large number of dentists who have decided not to take part in the General Dental Service under the National Health Act, he will invite the Dental Consultative Committee to meet him again in order to try and find agreement on outstanding differences.
§ The Minister of Health (Mr. Aneurin Bevan)No, Sir. The terms of service offered to dentists are in my view generous and reasonable, and I believe that most individual dentists will feel the same.
§ Mr. LipsonMay I ask my right hon. Friend whether, in view of the happy result which followed his gesture to the doctors, he will make a similar gesture now to the dentists, so as to ensure that the benefits of the dental part of the Health Service reach the people at the earliest possible time?
§ Mr. BevanI am convinced from the figures of the dentists joining up, that very soon, almost all the dentists will be taking service under the Act. In any case, we cannot submit to what may, unless we are careful, become blackmail.