§ Mr. David Youngasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate he has made of the cost of adding fluoride to the water supplies of all the area health authorities in the United Kingdom.
§ Dr. OwenIt is for those health authorities which decide to introduce fluoridation to make the necessary financial and other arrangements with regional water authorities. Capital and running costs will vary from one health authority's area to another, according to the nature of the water supply system, and it is, therefore, impracticable to provide the estimate requested. However, experience has shown that no other method is as effective or as economical as fluoridation in protecting the whole community against dental decay.
§ Mr. David Youngasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in view of pressure to curtail public spending, it remains his policy to encourage the addition of fluoride to water supplies.
§ Dr. OwenYes. The consultative document "Priorities for Health and Personal Social Services in England" published earlier this year indicated that priority should continue to be given to this safe and effective measure and that to encourage health authorities to introduce it £0.5 million annually would be earmarked as a contribution towards its initial capital costs. My Department has recently issued a circular to health authorities once more commending fluoridation and setting out the arrangements for providing this financial help.
§ Mr. David Youngasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in theOfficial Report a list of areas of the United Kingdom which have opposed the addition of fluoride to their water supply.
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§ Mr. Luceasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what research has been carried out on the effect of fluoridation on health; which bodies have carried out this research; and whether they reached generally the same conclusions.
§ Dr. OwenThe safety of this measure, involving the adjustment of the fluoride content of water supplies to one part per million, has been the subject of research for many years by a variety of bodies here and abroad. The reports of the first five and 11 years of the fluoridation studies in the United Kingdom, published in 1962 and 1969—Reports on Public Health and Medical Subjects Nos. 105 and 122—concluded that fluoridation was a highly effective way of reducing dental
ENGLAND AND WALES Staff Unit Whole-time 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 a. Administrative Staff (Note 1) equivalents 7,529 7,844 8,165 8,534 8,618 b. General Medical Practitioners Number 21,489 21,302 21,293 21,397 21,505 c. Surgeons (Note 2) Number 6,181 6,497 6,849 7,161 7,411 Staff Unit Whole-time 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 a. Administrative Staff (Note 1) equivalents 9,721 10,723 11,751 12,648 13,895 b. General Medical Practitioners Number 21,709 21,910 22,343 22,686 22,885 c. Surgeons (Note 2) Number 7,567 7,812 8,116 8,517 8,793 Notes:
1. These figures exclude secretarial, clerical and other specialised grades within the Administrative and Clerical Group, staff of local health authorities transferred to the National Health Service in 1974, ambulance officers, and staff of the Dental Estimates Board and the Prescription Pricing Authority. Staff of computer departments are included.
2. Permanent paid and honorary hospital medical staff graded senior house officer and above specialising in surgical specialties.