Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that British dentists are prioritized when allocating Licence in Dental Surgery examination places.

The Licence in Dental Surgery (LDS) exam is operated by the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCSEng), and the exam is regulated by the General Dental Council (GDC). There are no restrictions to accessing the exam based on British residency status.

It is the role of the GDC to approve eligibility criteria for the exam, which is proposed by the RCSEng as its operator. The GDC is independent of the Government. The RCSEng continues to increase the capacity of the LDS exam to ensure more candidates can access a place.