Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of children in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire were able to access an NHS dentist in the last 12 months.
Answer
Further to the answer provided on 12 October in response to Question 29603 , the latest NHS Dental Statistics show continued improvement across a range of key measures. Just under three million additional NHS dental treatments were delivered in 2025/26 compared to the year before the 2024 election, around half of which benefited children, with access for children now above pre-pandemic levels. These statistics, which include data for NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board, are available at the following link: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202526
Verdict: RED (22/100)
The reply did not give the figure the question asked for. It did not provide a proportion for South Holland and the Deepings, and it did not give a Lincolnshire figure for children accessing an NHS dentist. Instead it pointed to statistics covering the wider Lincolnshire ICB area and to a national trend. The answer is mostly vague and indirect, so the person who asked would likely need to submit a follow-up for the specific local figures.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What proportion of children in the South Holland and the Deepings constituency were able to access an NHS dentist in the last 12 months? | Partially Addressed | Generic | The reply gives no constituency-level figure for South Holland and the Deepings; it only points to statistics that include data for the Lincolnshire ICB, a broader area than the constituency, so the specific proportion requested is not provided. |
| What proportion of children in Lincolnshire were able to access an NHS dentist in the last 12 months? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply names the Lincolnshire ICB and links to the dataset that includes it, but does not state the Lincolnshire proportion of children accessing an NHS dentist; the only figure given is national (children's access now above pre-pandemic levels). |