Dental Health Education (Hansard, 7 December 1959)

§ 45. Mr. Janner
asked the Minister of Health the amounts being spent annually by his Department on the dental health education of the public, with a view to preventing unnecessary dental disease; and how this sum compares with the amount spent annually by his Department on the treatment of dental disease under the general dental services.

§ Mr. Walker-Smith
The expenditure of the Ministry of Health in supporting the work of local health authorities, who are the main agencies for dental health education under the National Health Service, cannot be separately identified except for one single item—that incurred on publicity material, which is of the order of £2,500–£3,000 a year. The expenditure of local health authorities, which is relevant expenditure taken into consideration in fixing the general grant totals, similarly cannot be separately estimated. The annual cost to the Exchequer of the general dental service in England and Wales is about £40 million.

§ Mr. Janner
In view of the large amount of money which has to be spent in curing dental caries, does not the Minister think that the amount being spent on educating the public to preserve their teeth is absurdly low? How much has he given to the two Committees which have been set up for this specific purpose? Is the answer "Nothing"? If so, why?

§ Mr. Walker-Smith
Concerning the sum, as I explained in my Answer, that relates to only one item. The cost of salaries, public relations and so on are not separately identifiable, for reasons which I have explained. In reply to the second part of the hon. Member's supplementary question, the answer is still the same as on the other two occasions when he asked the Question: that is to say, the Standing Committee is not of itself a spending body. It is an advisory and co-ordinating body for the other agencies which spend the money.

§ Mr. Janner
How on earth does the Minister expect the Standing Committees to carry on their work if he does not provide any money for that purpose?

§ Mr. Walker-Smith
Because the function of the Standing Committee is to 23 secure public awareness in dental matters and advise on the form which publicity should take and ensure that the other agencies carry out the work together. It is, therefore, a co-ordinating and advisory body for all those other agencies, as I have pointed out on the other two occasions.