§ Sir Peter Millsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North East, (Mrs. Short) Official Report, 10 December, columns 377–78, if he will place in the Library the scientific evidence upon which he is supporting the initiative of the Health Education Council to reduce sugar consumption.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI have been asked to reply.
Epidemiological surveys, human clinical studies and animal experiments indicate that frequent or high intake of sugary foods predisposes to dental decay. For recent reviews of the evidence my hon. Friend may wish to consult "Sugar and Dental Caries: A Review of Human Studies" by Dr. E. Newbrun ("Science" Vol. 217, 30 July 1982) and "Diet and Dental Caries" by A. J. Rugg-Gunn ("The Prevention of Dental Disease" edited by Professor J. J. Murray, Chapter 2, OUP (1983)).