§ Mr. Pawseyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to fund a research programme into the relationship between sugar consumption and children's dental health; if any evidence is available to him of any variation in this relationship according to different types of sugar; what information he has about levels of sugar consumption in other European Economic Community countries; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WhitneyA large body of evidence already exists linking the consumption of sugar with dental caries in children. There are, therefore, no plans at present to fund further research in this area. A number of researchers have concluded that of the various sugars sucrose is the type most likely to cause tooth decay. The total sugar consumption (both food and non-food) in the countries of the European Economic Community for the year October 1984-September 1985 was as follows:
Tonnes Denmark 192,000 Federal Republic of Germany 2,202,000 Greece 293,000 France 1,907,000 Ireland 136,000 Italy 1,641,000 Netherlands 560,000 Belgium and Luxembourg 355,000 United Kingdom 2,268,000