PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE
Points of Order - 23 May 2023 (Commons/Commons Chamber)

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. At Prime Minister’s questions on 19 April, the Prime Minister claimed that last year the number of NHS dentists in England had increased by 500. However, today the British Dental Association has revealed that the number of dentists delivering NHS work fell by almost 700 in the 2022-23 financial year. I am sure that the Prime Minister did not intentionally aim to mislead the House, but have you had any indication from him or his office that he intends to come back to the House to correct the record and give Members the latest information?

I think that somebody else wants to ask a similar question.

Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. The Prime Minister may have made several inaccurate statements regarding the number of NHS dentists. Since January, he has said on seven occasions that there are more dentists working in the NHS. On 3 May, in response to me at Prime Minister’s questions, he stated that

“there are more than 500 more dentists working in the NHS this year than last year.”—[Official Report, 3 May 2023; Vol. 732, c. 111.]

However, a freedom of information request obtained by the British Dental Association has thrown his comments into doubt. According to the FOI response, the number of dentists is down by 695 compared with the previous year. There are, in fact, more than 1,100 fewer dentists undertaking NHS work than before the pandemic, which brings the workforce to levels not seen since 2012-13. May I seek your advice on how we might encourage the Prime Minister to correct the record as soon as possible?

First, I thank the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Ed Davey) and the hon. Member for City of Durham (Mary Kelly Foy) for giving notice of their points of order. Although the content of answers to parliamentary questions and contributions is not a matter for the Chair, if an error has been made in this instance, I am sure that the Government will seek to correct it as quickly as possible. If the right hon. Member and the hon. Member wish, I am sure that the Table Office will give advice on ways to pursue the problem.

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Today, it has been revealed that there have been 35,000 cases of sexual misconduct or violence in the NHS in the past five years. Medical colleges and unions are calling for an inquiry over the shocking levels of sexual assault in the NHS. The BBC, The Guardian, The BMJ, Byline and others are now reporting on this issue, but we have heard little from the Government. Will you please advise me whether the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has given any indication that the Government intend to make a statement on the issue this week? Will you further advise those of us who have been trying to force action on this issue for the best part of a year how we can secure a debate on the Floor of the House?

I thank the hon. Lady for her point of order. I have had no notification that the Secretary of State plans to make a statement on this matter. I suggest that the hon. Lady visits the Table Office to seek advice on how she might pursue the issue. Those on the Treasury Bench will have taken note of her comments, and I am sure that she knows that there are many means by which she can take this forward, if she wishes.