asked the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of children examined by school dental officers has been shown to suffer from severe tooth decay; and what is the proportion of such children who had not received regular dental treatment under the National Health Service prior to such examination.

The most recent figures available for Wales are for 1967. Of the 208,300 pupils examined by school dental officers in that year 138,700 were found to require treatment. Information is not readily available as to the proportion of pupils who had not received regular dental treatment prior to examination in schools.