§ Sir T. DAVIESasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the majority of approved societies, embracing over 90 per cent. of the population entitled to dental benefit under the National Health Insurance Act, have accepted the new scale of fees for dental service under that Act, which scale was negotiated and agreed between representative men in approved society organisations and representative men in dental professional organisations; and whether, in these circumstances, he will take such steps as may be necessary to secure that insured persons who are members of the few approved societies whose officials are opposing such agreed scale shall not be deprived of dental benefit through a refusal by such officials to consider estimates based by dentists upon such scale or through inability on the part of the member to find a dentist willing to do work at lower fees than those so agreed?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe position with regard to the new scale of fees for dental service is as stated by the hon. Member. As regards the latter part of the question, I could not regard it as satisfactory that any Approved Society 447W which has included dental benefit in its scheme of additional benefits should make such arrangements as resulted in its insured members being unable to obtain satisfactory dental treatment with reasonable freedom of choice of dentist, and I shall not hesitate to take the necessary steps to deal with any such case that may be brought to my notice.