To ask the Minister of Health whether his Department’s policy on dental amalgam use continues to be for a phasedown approach, as stated in the 2019 Northern Ireland Plan to Phase down the use of Dental Amalgam.

The current position in the UK is that the four UK Chief Dental Officers and their respective Health Departments have incorporated measures to phase down the use of dental amalgam, rather than phase out. These include factors to minimise environmental discharge, improve collection of amalgam waste and changes in service delivery and support for alternative materials. This remains the policy position and preference of the Department.

In relation to timescales, whilst the text of the proposed new EU laws has been agreed between EU institutions, a plenary vote is still required. We expect this to take place in April 2024, with publication occurring thereafter, at which point the Democratic Scrutiny Committee (DSC) is likely to receive formal notification from the UK Government and may commence a formal Inquiry.

In anticipation of a notification, the committee has sought briefings from interested parties, including the British Dental Association, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the Department of Health.

In parallel, my Department has established an NI Mercury Working Group so that stakeholders from DoH, DAERA and others can monitor the passage of the new regulations, assess impacts, engage with the DSC process and mitigate risks as far as possible for patients and practices in Northern Ireland.