§ Mrs. RocheTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to raise the proportion of the cost of dental treatment paid by patients.
§ Dr. MawhinneyNational health service dental charges are kept under review, and decisions are made in the light of the Government's priorities for expenditure on the NHS.
§ Mrs. RocheTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the proportion of the population who visit a dentist every six months; and what assessment she has made of the effect of an increase in dental charges on attendance at dentists' surgeries.
§ Dr. MawhinneyNo such estimate can be made from the information available centrally. There is no evidence to suggest that increases in national health service dental charges have any significant long-term effect on attendance.