Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential (a) impact of the Greater Manchester Dental Quality Access Scheme on access to NHS dental services in Greater Manchester and (b) merits of replicating that scheme in other areas.

The Department and NHS England are aware of several local access schemes across the country and are keen to learn from all initiatives, including the Greater Manchester Dental Quality Access Scheme.

Local schemes are considered in the development of national policy. Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local populations, and to determine the priorities for investment.