Before we proceed to public business, would this be the proper time to ask the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he is in a position to make a statement with regard to the present position of the Dentists Bill, or would it be more appropriate to put the question at the end of the proceedings to-day?
THE DENTISTS BILL.
The Deputy gave no notice of this question. I think the statement he refers to could come now or at the adjournment, at the discretion of the Minister.
I shall, perhaps, have to separate my position in this matter from the position of the Select Committee, as a whole. I have had it indicated to me, by comment in the Press, that the Select Committee had been rather disposed to hold over the consideration of the Dentists Bill until autumn, in order to suit my convenience. Any question of suiting my convenience is, of course, absurd. I have been quite anxious to have this Bill proceeded with. I think I showed greater anxiety in that regard than any other members of the House. Owing to circumstances that have arisen, certain members of the Select Committee have come to me with the suggestion—which I, personally, am ready to adopt—that the Select Committee should not take up consideration of the Bill until after the Recess, and that in the meantime, in order to have the facts regarding certain individual cases which are coming to the notice of Deputies properly sifted. I should ask a couple of qualified dentists, a representative of the 1921 men and one other person who would be a civil servant, to take these cases, as raised, and find what are the exact facts. I could then go to the Committee when it would meet in the autumn with these cases as put up, and with some judgement on the facts alleged by those who are putting forward individual cases of hardship. The House, of course, will not be bound to accept what these two or three persons will have to say. The arrangement will merely mean that I shall have the benefit of having had the cases investigated, in some way, by certain members of the dental professions. If that were acceptable to those Deputies on the Select Committee, or any Deputies in this House who are getting particulars of individual cases alleging hardship, I would be pleased if Deputies would pass on those cases to me, so that I could put them before this body of three or four persons for investigation.
Could not the Minister, through his Department, insert an advertisement in the newspaper inviting people, who think they have a grievance and who may be overlooked if they do not know of his statement to-day, to put their grievances before him?
I think that the course which the Minister has suggested is a very much wiser one. This investigation will enable the Select, or rather the Special, Committee to proceed much better with its work, and, after the publicity given to the matter by his statement now. I daresay it would be sufficient and that all those who have grievances will know that the course open to them is to submit their case for investigation.
I note the point Deputy Thrift has made, namely, that it is a Special Committee rather than a Select Committee, and that consequently it has not power to call witnesses, but I would urge upon the Minister that, rather than seek for Deputies to send forward letters dealing with individual cases, he should, either as an alternative or additional, seek an interview with the organisation which represents the dental surgeons in the country who are not registered under the British Act, that is, representatives of what are called the 1921 men. I understand that there have been no communications made with the organisation which represents half the dentists in the country. I would urge that the more useful course would be to get into formal communication with the various parties concerned in the matter.
It is my intention to have a representative of the 1921 organisation assisting me in this matter. I do not think it necessary in this country to advertise for, people to send in their grievances.