§ 13. Mr. John Hallasked the Minister of Education if routine or emergency dental treatment is available at school or welfare clinics for all school children.
§ The Minister of Education (Mr. Geoffrey Lloyd)The duty of local education authorities to provide free dental treatment for school children extends only to pupils at maintained schools.
§ Mr. HallWould not my right hon. Friend think it wrong that any child suffering pain should be denied emergency treatment at a clinic merely because he or she is the pupil of a private school? If he does not agree with me, will he take steps to have the posters which declare that "No child need suffer pain" altered to read "No child need suffer pain unless a pupil of a private school"?
§ Mr. LloydIn general I agree with my hon. Friend. He wrote to my predecessor bringing to his attention the case of a girl who was refused treatment. I have taken up that case with the Buckinghamshire Local Education Authority and, although the case itself cannot be traced, the authority says that its policy is not to refuse treatment to any child in pain, irrespective of the strict legal obligation.