§ Mr. KeetchTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the adequacy of NHS dentistry in Hereford; and if he will make a statement. [113481]
§ Mr. HuttonWe are aware that there is a problem of access to National Health Service dentistry in Herefordshire and have taken positive steps to address this problem. Four Investing in Dentistry grants have been approved totalling £100,000, guaranteeing promises of a further 8,000 NHS patient registrations. A proposal for a "phone and go" dental access centre in Herefordshire is currently being considered by the NHS Executive. If successful the dental access centre should be operational by the end of the year.