Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time is for a prisoner to see a dentist after having submitted a medical application (a) nationally and (b) at HM Prison Leicester in the last five years for which figures are available.

Data is not available in the requested format. A snapshot survey of prison dental services was published by Public Health England in July 2014, in partnership with NHS England and the National Offender Management Service. This identified that approximately 55% of prisoners needing dental treatment following examination were seen within four weeks. A copy of the survey, A survey of dental services in adult prisons in England and Wales is attached.

The survey also identified that prisoners held in category B prisons, including Her Majesty’s Prison Leicester, waited three to four weeks for treatment on average following examination to identify required treatment.