Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making Dental (a) Foundation and (b) Vocational Training mandatory for dentists entering private practice.

As set out in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, we believe it is right and fair to seek better value for the significant investment that the taxpayer makes in the education and training of the dental workforce.

As the Workforce Plan sets out, the National Health Service and Government will explore whether a tie-in would ensure that dentists spend a greater proportion of their time delivering NHS dental care.