§ 2.35 p.m.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a satisfactory position has now been reached in regard to the training of dentists for general practice and also for the school dental service, and whether obstacles to the recruitment of women have now been removed with the full consent and concurrence of the dental profession.]
LORD ST. OSWALDMy Lords, as to the first point in the Question, a satisfactory position is now in sight. The Government accepted and are now implementing the recommendations of the McNair Report on the recruitment of the dental profession. It was recommended that new dental schools should be established for an intake of about 200 students a year, and included in this was a dental school in the University of Wales for a permanent intake of at least 50 students. Proposals and plans already launched, between them, will provide a total increase of 215 in training (compared with 200 deemed necessary in the Report), and will bring the figure of dentists trained annually to 865 to provide the recommended annual figure of 800 dentists who would join those working in this country. These plans include a new dental hospital at Cardiff with an intake of 50 students a year.
The problem of obtaining enough school dental officers is linked to that of recruitment in the profession as a whole. The number of dental officers at schools 1080 shows an improvement since the beginning of 1947, before the National Health Service came into effect, as between 753 in 1947 and 1,032 this year. There is still a shortage, but this should be overcome by the new training facilities that I have described. Building work is involved, and this is bound to limit the degree of acceleration. There are no obstacles whatever to the recruitment of women dentists or to their practising in this country.
§ LORD GLYNMy Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that Answer, may I ask whether he can give any idea how soon it will be possible for children in schools to be adequately inspected in regard to their dental treatment?
LORD ST. OSWALDMy Lords, I have given a general Answer on that point. I have said that it is linked to the expansion of training facilities for dentists, and school dental officers are bound to go hand in hand with that. I do not think I should try to give a more specific answer on the school dental officers problem.
§ LORD TAYLORMy Lords, is it not a fact that the real trouble here is the very low pay received by school dental officers, as a result of which it is almost impossible in most parts of the country to recruit any at all?
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, before the noble Lord answers that question, may I ask him whether he can tell the House the number of children per dental officer at present in this country?
LORD ST. OSWALDMy Lords, as regards the second question, I am sorry not to have the figure ready. I cannot claim that it does not come within the scope of the Question, but I have not the figure in front of me. As to the first question, I think I have, so far as I can, replied to that in my Answer to the general Question. If the noble Lord would like to put it to me more specifically, I will gladly reply to him in writing.
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, I appreciate that the noble Lord cannot answer my question on the spot, but would he undertake to draw the Ministers' attention to the programme, "Panorama", on the B.B.C. on Monday night which portrayed a grave situation so far as the teeth of our children at school is concerned.
LORD ST. OSWALDMy Lords, if my right honourable friends, like myself, were not watching the programme in question I will certainly draw their attention to it.
§ LORD OGMOREMy Lords, while welcoming the announcement that a dental school is going to be set up in Wales, can the noble Lord disclose where in Wales it is to be?
LORD HAWKEMy Lords, would my noble friend not agree that just as big a menace to children's teeth as the lack of dentists is the over-indulgence in sweets and ice-lollies?
LORD ST. OSWALDMy Lords, I am as anxious as anybody can be to give satisfaction, but I think that that is slightly outside the scope of the Question on the Paper.