§ Miss Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in view of the recommendations contained in the Department of Health and Social Security's report of September 1981, "Towards Better Dental Health", that dentistry in the National Health Service should aim at providing the opportunity for everyone to retain a healthy functional dentition for file and that the level of charges should be set as low as possible to achieve this aim, he will review the proposed increases in dental charges.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergI fully support the emphasis placed on prevention and maintenance of dental health in the report of the Dental Strategy Review Group "Towards Better Dental Health". We are currently considering the response to its recommendations and decisions have yet to be taken. The overriding need to maintain control of public expenditure means that in the next financial year it will be necessary to increase the revenue yield in real terms from dental charges. The alternative would be to make cuts in services.