Facts

As Full Fact has noted: “This statement was challenged by the British Dental Association (BDA), which said Mr Sunak had made a “wholesale misrepresentation of the crisis facing NHS dentistry”.

In a statement, BDA chair Eddie Crouch said: “The facts are there are no new dentists, no new contract and no new money.”

Full Fact further reported that: “We asked Number 10 to confirm the figures Mr Sunak was referring to and what his claim was based on, but we haven’t had any response.”

Verdict

Downing Street has not provided figures to support Rishi Sunak’s claim. In the absence of such figures we conclude that the prime minister was misleading MPs. Since he has not returned to parliament to correct the record he is in breach of the ministerial code.

We emailed Rishi Sunak’s office and Downing Street offering them the chance to respond. The email was received, but no reply.