§ Lord Colwynasked Her Majesty's Government:
What are the countries of origin of those overseas dentists who registered last year to practise dentistry in England and Wales; and what is their current policy towards encouraging foreign dentists to practise in England and Wales. [HL1463]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner)In the past year, dentists registered with the General Dental Council from: Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, Spain and Sweden. These dentists make an important contribution to dental care in the United Kingdom, which we continue to encourage. In particular, we intend to extend current international recruitment activity for other groups of healthcare professionals to encourage more dentists to come and work in England.
§ Lord Colwynasked Her Majesty's Government:
What discussions they have had with European Union accession countries regarding the movement of dental personnel to the United Kingdom. [HL1464]
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§ Lord WarnerWith effect from 1 May 2004, dentists in the accession states will benefit from automatic recognition of their qualifications where their training meets specified minimum requirements set by the European Commission. We would be happy to support dentists in these countries who wish to work in the United Kingdom. However, we would enter into agreements only with those countries that were happy for us to actively recruit dentists. We intend to make inquiries of the health departments of some of these countries.