§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how he monitors whether dentists providing NHS services are progressively moving into private practice; and what evidence he has on this matter.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonGeneral dental practitioners are independent contractors who are free to decide whether to offer NHS treatment to each individual patient. No information is available on dentists' private practices. The Government monitor information provided regularly by all health boards on the availability of NHS dental services. No health board has reported that it has been unable to arrange access to NHS dental services for people who wish to use them in its area.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what effect he expects sessional pay to have on dental waiting lists.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonSessional remuneration for general dental practitioners was one of the options for change outlined in the Government's consultation paper "Improving NHS Dentistry". Ministers are now considering all the responses received before338W deciding the way forward. No decisions have have yet been taken.