Aberdeen Dental School

That the Parliament notes the widespread support among communities in the north east of Scotland for the establishment of a dental school in Aberdeen; endorses the call by the Aberdeen Evening Express for the facility to be a full dental school; believes that Aberdeen and the north east of Scotland require a full dental school as a matter of urgency; is concerned that Scottish-domiciled students applying to study dentistry at the new Aberdeen Dental School will be liable to pay their own tuition fees; recognises that this will cost Scottish-domiciled students approximately £7,000 in fees; notes that students wishing to study dentistry in Dundee and Glasgow do not pay tuition fees and believes that the decision to charge tuition fees to dental students in Aberdeen is unfair and will act as a block on the number of students wishing to pursue a career in dentistry in the north east; believes that students wishing to study dentistry in Aberdeen should not be penalised in this way, and therefore calls on the Scottish Government to ensure that Scottish-domiciled students studying at the Aberdeen Dental School are not required to pay tuition fees and continue to have access to the bursary support available to students studying in Dundee and Glasgow.