Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there are plans to deliver capital funding to local ICB's to support local training hubs or centres for dental development to support dental workforce recruitment and retention, especially in rural and coastal areas like North Devon.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the North Devon constituency, this is the Devon ICB.

ICBs receive allocations of capital funding each year to cover primary care requirements and overall strategic objectives. They are able to use the capital on dental facilities should they consider that a priority. In 2026/27, the funding available across all ICBs is £122 million for primary care, and £195 million for overall strategic objectives.

We are determined to rebuild NHS dentistry and deliver a dentistry service fit for the future. We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan and ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care for patients, when they need it.

We are also committed to fundamentally reforming the dental contract, with a focus on matching resources to need, improving access, promoting prevention, and rewarding dentists fairly, while enabling the whole dental team to work to the top of their capability.