§ Mrs. Maureen HicksTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence he has about reduction in dental decay as a result of the addition of fluoride to drinking water.
§ Mr. DorrellEvidence in this country of the efficacy of fluoridation of drinking water is well documented. For example, two studies in 1987 compared samples of 14-year-old children in fluoridated south Birmingham and non-fluoridated Bolton and samples of five-year-old children in fluoridated Newcastle and non-fluoridated south Northumberland.
424WIn the study of south Birmingham 32 per cent. of children there were shown to be free of caries compared with only 19 per cent. in Bolton. In the study of Newcastle and Northumberland 50 per cent. of the children in the fluoridated area were free of caries compared with only 32 per cent. in the non-fluoridated area. It was also found that in Northumberland 37 per cent. of the children had five or more carious teeth compared with only 16 per cent. in Newcastle.
§ Mrs. Maureen HicksTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence he has available on whether the adding of fluoride to drinking water represents any health risk to the individual.
§ Mr. DorrellThere is no evidence to show that increasing the level of fluoride in drinking water to the optimum concentration of one part per million has any adverse effect upon health. This has been confirmed repeatedly by groups of scientific experts. Major reviews of the extensive scientific literature have been undertaken by the World Health Organisation, the Canadian Public Health Association, the US National Academy of Sciences, the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.
The safety of fluoridation of water supplies has been reviewed by the Royal College of Physicians, the DHSS working party on fluoridation of water and cancer and the Government's independent expert medical and scientific advisory committees on mutagenicity and carcinogenicity of chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment.