Mr. Fanasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research is being undertaken into the possibility that hot house plants such as tomatoes and cucumbers, irrigated with artificially fluoridated water, could produce organic fluoride, as do gidyea and gifblaar.
§ Mr. Scott-HopkinsI am not aware of any such research, not does it appear to be necessary because, as my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health explained on 12th February to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Arundel and Shoreham (Captain Kerby), there is no evidence that plants growing in this country can perform this synthesis. Artificially fluoridated water presents no new hazard in this respect since any plant capable of synthesising organic fluorine compounds already obtains fluoride from water supplies naturally containing it, from fertilisers or from the soil.