Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has been made of the potential merits of changing the allocation process for the Dental Foundation Training (DFT) to take into account graduate's preferences and local connections.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the allocation of Dental Foundation Training (DFT) places is fair, transparent, and based on the needs of both foundation-stage dentists and patients.

Applicants to DFT can express preferences for training programmes and locations as part of the national recruitment process. Places are allocated based on rankings following a Situational Judgement Test and then candidates’ preference ranking. Additional support is provided to applicants with approved special circumstances, including those with significant caring responsibilities, medical conditions or disabilities, or parental responsibilities that limit their ability to relocate.

NHS England keeps recruitment and allocation processes under regular review.