Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of dentistry school places that will be required in each of the next five years.

In England, the number of dentistry school places is regulated by the Government and controlled through annual intake targets operated by the Office for Students. For entry in 2019, the target intake was set at 809 places. This year the Government temporarily lifted this cap for students who completed A-Levels in 2020 and who had an offer from a university in England to study dentistry subject to their grades. This ensured a place this year or next for every eligible student.

The Government’s current view is that the cap otherwise should remain unchanged over the next five years. We are committed to ensuring that the number of dental school places are in line with England’s workforce requirements and continue to monitor the effectiveness of current arrangements with Health Education England and other partners.