HC Deb 01 May 1991 vol 190 cc239-40W
Mr. Butterfill

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, further to his answer of 19 April,Official Report, column 285, what information he has on the organisation and structure of the British Fluoridation Society; whether it is a registered charity; and what involvement its members have in the fluoride chemicals industry.

Mr. Dorrell

The British Fluoridation Society—BFS—is a registered limited company. It has an elected council of approximately 25 members which meets three times a year and an executive of eight honorary officers of the society, which meets five times a year.

The BFS has a part-time administration officer based at its head office at 63 Wimpole street, London and a full-time information officer based at the school of dental surgery, university of Liverpool.

The BFS is not a registered charity. We are not aware of any involvement by its members in the fluoride chemicals industry.

Mr. Butterfill

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, further to his answer of 19 April,Official Report, column 285, which regional health authorities are currently considering the implementation of water fluoridation in their areas; and if he will identify the extent of information, advice, materials and other assistance given to them in each of the last five years by the British Fluoridation Society.

Mr. Dorrell

New schemes or extensions to existing water fluoridation schemes are currently being considered in the North Western, West Midlands, Mersey, Northern, Yorkshire, Wessex and Oxford regions.

The Department does not keep information on the assistance given to regions by the British Fluoridation Society.

Mr. Butterfill

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, further to his answer of 19 April,Official Report, column 285, what representations he has received from regional health authorities in the past five years requesting information, advice, materials and other assistance on the subject of implementing water fluoridation in their areas.

Mr. Dorrell

No record is maintained of all the occasions on which regional health authorities have approached the Department for such assistance over the past five years.