Mr. R. C. Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to increase the number of dentists in Hampshire to meet the demands of a rapidly increasing population.
§ Mr. Alison:The number of dentists practising in the geographical counties of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight is already keeping pace with the increase in population. The ratio of dentists to population in the area at 30th September, 1971, was 1:3,722 compared with 1:4,431 for England as a whole, and in the six months to 31st March, 1972, there was a further 8 per cent. increase in the number of practitioners on the dental lists of the five executive councils in the area.