§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence his Department has assessed over the last 10 years which indicates a relationship between incidences of(a) dental caries and (b) angina with diet; and what new steps he plans to take to tackle these diseases. [24463]
§ Ms JowellThe evidence linking diet with dental caries which the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA) considered is cited in its reportsDietary Sugars and Human Disease published in 1989, and Dietary Reference Values for Food Energy and Nutrients for the United Kingdom published in 1991. Evidence also came from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey: children aged 1½ to 4½ years Volume 2 Report of the dental survey published in 1995. Copies of these reports are available in the Library. Angina is a symptom of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the evidence reviewed by COMA linking diet with CVD is cited in its report Nutritional Aspects of Cardiovascular Disease published in 1994.
We will be setting out our new strategy to reduce the burden of CVD shortly in our Green Paper Our Healthier Nation. As part of our strategy for reducing dental caries the Health Education Authority (HEA) has been commissioned to provide an update on oral health for health visitors and school nurses which will cover dietary concerns and we have commissioned a further similar resource from the HEA for the carers of pre-school children.