§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, following the publication of the child dental health surveys by Birmingham and Newcastle universities of a fall of 50 per cent. in tooth decay between 1973 and 1983, he will consider making fluoride toothpastes available free for all children under the age of 10 years in order to take advantage of the protective effect of fluoride without resorting to fluoridation of the water supply; and if he will establish a pilot scheme to assess effectiveness and cost.
§ Mr. John PattenNo. Studies carried out in the last 10 years have shown that tooth decay levels among children who have had life-long exposure to fluoridated112W water are consistently lower than amongst children in comparable non-fluoridated areas. I do, of course, very much welcome the general reduction in dental decay among children over this period, although this has not been as great overall in England and Wales as the hon. Member suggests.