Stephen Kinnock

I thank the hon. Member for that intervention. It is an excellent idea, and it is something that we have seen in other parts of the country. If he would care to write to me about that, I would be more than happy to take that issue up. In the south-west, the golden hello scheme has already led to seven new dentists on the ground delivering NHS dentistry to patients, and a further six have been recruited and are waiting to start their roles. With 64 live adverts across the region, we are confident that the numbers will grow. And, for the first time in more than a decade, we have increased payments for practices training a foundation dentist. We will not stand idly by while the fundamental reforms to the contract are developed. Where we identify opportunities, we will make improvements to the current system when those can increase access and incentivise the workforce to deliver more NHS care. I am pleased that work to improve access has also been taking place at the local level, and that Somerset ICB is opening three new practices in Wellington, Crewkerne and Chard. Those services will provide much-needed additional capacity in Somerset. The ICB is committed to delivering additional urgent dental appointments and increasing access for residents facing the greatest health inequalities—although I do recognise what the hon. Member for Tiverton and Minehead (Rachel Gilmour) said about the concerns that she raised. Fixing our broken dentistry system will not be easy, but I want to reaffirm our commitment to making bold changes and tough decisions to stop the decay and to rebuild the foundations of NHS dentistry. This is an immense challenge—there are no quick fixes and no easy answers—but people in Somerset and across the country deserve better access to dental care, and we are determined to make that a reality. We are committed to rebuilding a system that puts patients first, ensuring that no one is left without the dental care that they need. Question put and agreed to.