HC Deb 04 November 1976 vol 918 cc680-1W
Mr. Lawrence

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the towns and areas of the United Kingdom where a final decision has been taken to add fluoride artificially to the water supply, stating when it is proposed to start the treatment.

Mr. Moyle

Decisions to fluoridate water supplies in England are taken by individual area health authorities, who are responsible for discussing with the appropriate water authorities the details and timing of fluoridation schemes in their areas. The following area health authorities in the various health regions have agreed in principle to fluoridate water supplies in their areas but have not yet arranged to do so:

Northern Region

  • South Tyneside

Yorkshire Region

  • Calderdale; Wakefield

Trent Region

  • Doncaster; Leicestershire; Rotherham; Sheffield

East Anglia Region

  • Suffolk

North-West Thames Region

  • Barnet; Brent and Harrow; Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow; Hillingdon; Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster

North-East Thames Region

  • Barking and Havering; Camden and Islington; City and East London; Enfield and Haringey; Essex; Redbridge and Waltham Forest

South-East Thames Region

  • Bromley; Greenwich and Bexley; Kent; Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham

South-West Thames Region

  • Croydon; Kingston and Richmond; Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth; Surrey; West Sussex.

Wessex Region

  • Wiltshire

Oxford Region

  • Berkshire; Northamptonshire

South-Western Region

  • Avon; Devon; Gloucestershire; Somerset

West Midlands Region

  • Coventry; Dudley; Salop; Staffordshire; Walsall

Mersey Region

  • Liverpool; St. Helens and Knowsley; Sefton

North-Western Region

  • Bolton; Bury; Lancashire; Manchester; Oldham; Rochdale; Salford, Stockport; Tameside; Trafford; Wigan

Mr. Lawrence

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what sources are currently supplying flouride for treating local water supplies pursuant to his Department's recommendations.

Mr. Moyle

I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment that the procurement of fluoride for water fluoridation is a matter for the individual statutory water undertakers and that he has no knowledge of the arrangements they make for this purpose.