HC Deb 14 June 1991 vol 192 cc712-3W
Mr. Shersby

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in tabular form details of the average number of decayed, missing or filled permanent teeth in 12-year-old children in Scotland in each health board area.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

The report of the 1988–89 survey of 12-year-old children, published in June 1990 as part of the Scottish health boards' dental epidemiological programme provides details of the average number of decayed, missing or filled teeth in 12-year-old children, and this is as follows:

Health Board Average Number per 12 year old Child
Decayed Missing Filled Total
Argyll and Clyde 0.51 0.27 1.49 2.27
Ayrshire and Arran 0.25 0.15 1.99 2.39
Borders 0.33 0.04 1.32 1.69
Dumfries and Galloway 0.42 0.24 1.35 2.01
Fife 0.43 0.23 1.61 2.27
Forth Valley 0.33 0.32 1.69 2.34
Grampian 0.39 0.23 1.38 2.00
Greater Glasgow 0.58 0.34 1.70 2.62
Highland 0.37 0.17 1.26 1.80
Lanarkshire 0.46 0.31 2.21 2.98
Lothian 0.22 0.11 1.01 1.34
Orkney 0.06 0.32 1.34 1.72
Shetland 0.07 0.07 2.40 2.54
Tayside 0.27 0.23 1.64 2.14
Western Isles 0.51 0.44 2.18 3.13

Mr. Shersby

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of the water supply in Scotland is now fluoridated artificially; and what is his policy for ensuring the optimum level of fluoridation in the interests of securing better dental health.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

At present there is no artificial fluoridation of water supplies in Scotland, but I shall shortly be issuing guidance to health boards and water authorities, encouraging the introduction of fluoridation schemes. The improvement of dental and oral health is among our health priorities in Scotland as set out in "Health Education in Scotland: A National Policy Statement" which I published on 25 March. Our target is that by the year 2000, 60 per cent. of five-year-old school entrants should neither have cavities nor have had fillings or extractions and that of adults in the 45 to 54 years age group, less than 10 per cent. should be edentulous. Fluoridation of the water supply will facilitate the attainment of these targets.