Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on 24 January 2022 in the Adjournment debate on NHS Dentistry: Bristol and the South-west, Official Report column 827, what recent progress he has made on UK recognition of the qualifications of dental practitioners from the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.

The European Qualifications (Health and Social Care Professions) (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 provide for the automatic recognition of relevant dental qualifications obtained in the European Economic Area and Switzerland for a period of at least 24 months from the end of the transition period, 48 months for Swiss qualifications.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is required under Regulation 14 of this legislation to carry out a statutory review of these arrangements after the end of the 24 month period. This review began at the start of 2023. Automatic recognition of qualifications will continue unless and until further legislation is introduced to amend or end these arrangements.