Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of delays in fitting braces for children on the dental health of those children.

No assessment has been made. Commissioners work closely with local orthodontic clinical networks to manage local waiting times and service provision. Our expectation is that treatments required for children are prioritised by clinicians based on their assessment of the child’s individual needs.