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Health and Education

If the hon. Gentleman had done his research before coming to the House, he would know that it takes eight years to train an NHS dentist, and it is this Government who are employing 1,000 more NHS dentists this year. That will have an impact over the coming years. I will continue to listen to teachers and parents as we deliver our manifesto commitments in the Gracious Speech to extend opportunities for all children to succeed on the basis of their hard work and merit, not on the basis of their privilege or social class. Our 10-year child care strategy, published last December, set out our plans to ensure that every child gets the best possible start in life. By 2010 there will be 3,500 children’s centres, one in every community, so that every family with young children has easy access to high-quality integrated services. Every child will be able to benefit from activities taking place before and after school, as schools open up their facilities for use by the community—pupils and parents. We will continue our efforts to raise standards in primary and secondary schools, working with teachers to provide tailored support for children, with catch-up for those who struggle in the basics and challenge for the more able. We will raise the bar in schools, recognising that all young people should achieve GCSE standard in English and maths by the time they leave. For the first time, as a result of our policies, our young people will have access to high-quality, high-status vocational education. We will introduce four specialised diplomas by 2008 and seven by 2010, leading in time to a full entitlement of 14 in each locality. We want far more of our young people to be staying on in education or training or entering an apprenticeship—far more than we have at the moment. On this side of the House, we have always been clear about one thing: we want parents to choose schools, not schools to choose parents. That is why we have continued to invest in our state schools. We want to improve quality and choice in the provision of schooling and build on the progress already made to improve educational standards for all, including—