§ Mr. Kenneth Bakerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in the light of the impact of the recent increase in the cost of gold and silver on the dental services, where the cost of the most commonly used filling material, dental amalgam, is directly related to the silver price and when an adjustment of expenses is due to dentists, whether a system will be devised to allow more rapid adjustments when the raw material prices change rapidly.
§ Sir George YoungNo changes to the present system of remunerating general dental practitioners, which is the one preferred by the majority of the profession, are envisaged. However, in view708W of recent exceptional increases in the prices of gold and silver, my right hon. Friend has agreed to a special enhancement of NHS dental fees from 1 April 1980, and this will be taken into account by the dental rates study group in their normal deliberations later this year.