§ Mr. Staintonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the doubts expressed by the National Water Council regarding the basis for putting fluoride in the water supply; and on the three prerequisites 393W recently stipulated by the Anglian Water Authority before that authority will implement future requests for fluoridation
§ Mr. Denis HowellI am aware of the questions which the National Water Council and individual water authorities have raised on fluoridation and I am examining them. I have no reason, however, at this stage to depart from the view, which successive Governments have held, that there is an adequate statutory basis for fluoridation. It is for the water authority to decide in the light of all the circumstances whether it can meet a request from an area health authority to fluoridate supplies in the interests of reducing tooth decay.