HC Deb 23 February 1977 vol 926 cc1397-9
10. Mr. Dempsey

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the recent report commissioned by the Scottish Home and Health Department showing that Scotland has the worst record of dental disease in Western Europe.

Mr. Harry Ewing

The most recent relevant report is that published in 1974 on "Adult Dental Health in Scotland 1972". It records that in Scotland 44 per cent. of adults were without natural teeth as compared with 37 per cent. in England and Wales. No comparison is made with the rest of Europe, for which comparable statistics are not available. A number of measures have been introduced since the report which, it is hoped, will lead to an improvement in dental health.

Mr. Dempsey

Does my hon. Friend agree that according to medical opinion dental decay adversely affects the lives of our people? Is he aware that according to recent statistics Scotland has the worst rate of dental decay among Western European countries? Will he encourage local authorities to act, and will he assure them that additional funds will be provided from the Exchequer to enable them to do so?

Mr. Ewing

I certainly cannot assure any local authorities that additional funds will be available from the Exchequer for any aspect of policy. However, the specific point raised by my hon. Friend is really one of research. We have made arrangements for an advisory dental research unit to be set up in one of the three dental teaching hospitals in Scotland to assess the effective use of dental procedures and related health services in order to try to bring about a very much needed improvement in dental health in Scotland.

Mr. Rifkind

Is it not tragic that, almost 30 years after the foundation of the National Health Service, almost half of Scottish adults have no natural teeth? Given the failure of all advisory commissions followed by all Governments up to now, what reason does the Minister have for supposing that this new advisory unit will make any significant difference to the problem?

Mr. Ewing

Whatever steps we take in this matter, we must depend on the co-operation of the people themselves. If people do not take an interest in their own dental health, there is not much that any Government can do about it. As in so many other aspects of life, the responsibility is with the individual.

Mr. Robert Hughes

Does my hon. Friend recollect that in Kilmarnock a pilot study was carried out of the advantage of adding fluoride to the water supply, which showed that dental caries could be cut by half? Will my hon. Friend further encourage local authorities to add fluoride to the water supply, and will he make some money available to see that this can be done as quickly as possible?

Mr. Ewing

The one thing that I know about Kilmarnock—my right hon. Friend the Member for Kilmarnock (Mr. Ross) is not present—is that everyone there has his wisdom teeth. However, on the question of the fluoridation of water, we have asked the health boards—whose responsibility basically it is to encourage the local authorities—to draw this matter to the attention of local authorities again, in the hope that local authorities will give it the most serious consideration.