§ Mr. Mortonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, during the last 10 years, how many tribunal cases relating to dentists' fraud against the National Health Service have been investigated 410W by him or his predecessors; and of these how many related to fraud in relation to payments claimed.
§ Sir George YoungNone. Allegations of fraud are not investigated by my right hon. Friend but by the police and the criminal courts.
§ Mr. Mortonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) during the last 10 years, how often a tribunal hearing has preceded any hearing by the General Dental Council;
(2) how many dentists, having been found guilty of fraud in relation to the National Health Service, had their names erased from the dentists' register in the last 10 years;
(3) how many dentists, during the last 10 years, have been arraigned before the General Dental Council and found guilty by the General Dental Council of misconduct in relation to fraud in the National Health Service;
(4) how many dentists, registered with the General Dental Council, have been found guilty in a court of law of fraud in relation to the National Health Service in the last 10 years.
§ Sir George YoungThe information is not available in the Department.
§ Mr. Mortonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many dentists, having been found guilty of fraud in relation to the National Health Service, were arraigned before a tribunal to determine if the name of the dentist should be struck from the lists of practitioners in contract to give general dental services in the last 10 years.
§ Sir George YoungNone. There have been no references to the NHS tribunal during the past 10 years in respect of dentists found guilty of fraud. Where a dentist's name has been erased from the dentists register, reference to the tribunal would be superfluous.