§ Mrs. Ann Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he has any plans to alter the charge system for patients who receive dental treatment under the National Health Service;
(2) what recent representations he has received supporting changes in the charge system for dental treatment under the National Health Service;
(3) if he has made any estimate of the percentage level at which a proportional charge system would have to be levied for dental treatment under the National Health Service in order to raise the same level of revenue as is guaranteed by the current system of dental charges; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Hayhoe[pursuant to his reply, 27 November 1985]: Representations have been received mostly from dentists, about the present system of dental charges. These include suggestions for a return to the previous system, a wholly proportional system and a system under which dentists would fix their own charges, but there would be a state subsidy for basic treatment.
If a wholly proportional system had been introduced on 1 April 1985, the level of charge necessary to raise the required level of revenue would have been 72 per cent. The desirability of changing the current system will be considered when charges are next reviewed.