§ Baroness Hooper rose to move, That the draft regulations laid before the House on 27th June be approved, [24th Report from the Joint Committee].
§ The noble Baroness said: My Lords, I beg to move the Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper. The draft regulations before us introduce four changes. They will allow dental hygienists in the National Health Service, in general dental practice and in private dental practice to provide dental work 625 under the same conditions. They will make it a requirement that dental hygienists can only provide dental work which has been prescribed in writing by a dentist who has first examined the patient. They will allow dental hygienists to scale teeth under a local infiltration analgesia administered by them or under any local or regional block analgesia administered by a dentist, and they will increase from £3 to £6 the fee payable each year by dental hygienists to have their names retained on the roll kept by the General Dental Council.
§ These regulations, again, have been prepared by the General Dental Council and approved by the Privy Council in accordance with the requirements of Section 45(9) of the Dentists Act 1984. Once more, the approval of noble Lords is required. These regulations introduce some sensible changes in relation to the dental work which can be undertaken by dental hygienists and will permit a necessary increase in the retention fees payable by dental auxiliaries. I therefore commend these regulations to your Lordships.
§ Moved, That the draft regulations laid before the Howe on 27th June be approved [24th Report from the Join, Committee].—(Baroness Hooper.)
§ Lord Graham of EdmontonMy Lords, my noble friend Lord Ennals has again asked me to say that he has no objection to this order.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.