§ Mr. JESSONasked the Minister of Health whether an amending Bill to the Dentists' Act, 1878, is in course of preparation; it so, whether this Bill will appoint, in accordance with the recommendations of the Departmental Committee of Dentistry, an ad hoc committee to inquire into the eligibility of unregistered dentists for registration; whether the personnel of this ad hoc committee has already been decided upon; whether the Incorporated Dental Society, Limited, will have representatives upon it and how many; and whether he can state why the National Dental Association, an organisation which represents at the present moment over 800 unregistered dental practitioners, who each, by the terms of his agreement with the association on assuming membership, undertakes not to canvass or advertise for patients, and makes a declaration that he has been in practice for a period of five years as a dental assistant or practitioner wholly engaged in operations on the month before 5th February, 1919, has not been accorded equality of treatment with the Incorporated Dental Society, Limited?
§ Dr. ADDISONNo, Sir, most of the proposals referred to in the Report of the Committee must form part of the general scheme for improved health services for the nation which the Ministry of Health are concerned to develop as soon as possible, but there has not yet been sufficient time to work out such a scheme, nor to consider adequately the various recommendations of the Committee in question as regards dental registration. The other points in the question therefore do not arise.