§ Mr. Maxwell-Hyslopasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why his private office is unable to find out whether the regional dental officer, whose address was given as 11 Gloucester Row, Clifton, Bristol, and whose duty it is to advise dentists upon, and approve, certain treatment under the NHS to patients in Devon, is an officer of his Department or an employee of the regional health authority.
§ Mr. EnnalsI understand that the hon. Member asked my private office whether he should address a query about a regional dental officer to the Minister of State (Health) or to the regional health authority. My private office said that details of the query should be sent to my Deputy Chief Dental officer, who would then investigate the matter as quickly as possible. This was a helpful reply and I am sorry that the hon. Member did not find it so.
§ Mr. Maxwell-Hyslopasked the Secretary of State for Social Services in view of the fact that neither his own private office nor that of his Minister of State (Health) replies to telephone calls on the direct line numbers appearing in the Palace of Westminster telephone directory, and that his private office admits that it is aware of this, and attributes it to technical difficulties, what action he will take and by what date it will be effective to obtain a functional service on those direct numbers; and whether he will circulate Members with a statement of how they can contact his office and that of his Minister of State when the main switchboard of his Department is not answering calls during normal working hours.
§ Mr. EnnalsMy staff were in the office when the hon. Member called but there was a faulty telephone line as the hon. Member already knows.