Establishment of a Hull York Dental School

That this House acknowledges with concern the survey by the British Dental Association which shows the dental workforce has been reduced to a level not seen since 2012-13; notes an unmet need for dentistry was at a record high at one in four of the adult population in 2022; further notes the proportion of dentists now reporting an intention to reduce, or further reduce, the amount of NHS work they undertake in 2023 stands at 74 per cent; notes that the National Audit Office ranked the East Riding of Yorkshire as having the third lowest count of dentists per head of population in the country at 3.6 per 10,000 in its latest report; notes Hull has historically high levels of tooth decay in children; notes a direct correlation between increased rates of tooth extractions and the risk of mouth cancer and the Index of Multiple Deprivation in England, where the Hull Local Authority area ranks 10 of 326; concludes that there is an overwhelming need for more dentists in the region; declares that this need can be met by training more dentists locally; notes that the Universities of Hull and York are exploring the establishment of a joint Dental School to follow the success of the Hull York Medical School which opened in 2003 and now sees over 150 newly qualified doctors a year entering the profession; urges the Government to take all necessary steps to facilitate the creation of such a school as soon as practically possible.