§ Baroness Masham of Iltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether dental practitioners are encountering difficulties in obtaining access to adequate disposal facilities for clinical waste and, if so, what they should do about it.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Baroness Trumpington)It is the responsibility of each general dental practitioner to ensure that the clinical waste generated in his practice premises is properly disposed of. Some Family Practitioner Committees have established schemes for the disposal of such waste from medical and dental practices but, where no scheme exists, the general dental practitioner should contact the local authority or a private contractor to arrange for collection and disposal in a proper manner. I am not aware of any area where practitioners are unable to make satisfactory arrangements.