§ 68. Mr. Edward Lyonsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in the light of the Report and Survey of the British Dental Health Foundation, a copy of which is in his possession, he will introduce legislation to abolish or reduce dental charges.
§ Sir K. JosephNo. The new system of charges introduced last year was designed to give patients a financial incentive to visit their dentists regularly. About 60 per cent. of all courses of treatment do not attract a charge either because the patient is exempt or the treatment is free, and of those patients liable to pay a charge many pay no more and some pay less than under the former system. The Government also extended and considerably improved the arrange-64W ments for financial help to those patients who were not exempt from dental charges.