§ Mr. EtheringtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list those water companies which add fluoride to the public water supply indicating for each the percentage of artificially fluoridated water they provide; [6201]
(2) when (a) he and (b) members of his Department last met with representatives of the (i) National Pure Water Association and (ii) British Fluoridation Society and what matters were discussed; [6205]
(3) if he will list the research (a) wholly and (b) partly funded by his Department since 1986 into the prevalence of dental decay between areas of non-artificial fluoridated water and artificially fluoridated public water supplies and its association with socio-economic, health and dietary factors; [6199]
(4) if he will list the total number of representations his Department has received in the last five years (a) opposing and (b) supporting the fluoridation of public water supplies. [6202]
(5) if he will list the research projects (a) wholly and (b) partly funded currently by his Department since 1986 into the safety and efficacy of artificially fluoridated public water supplies; [6204]
(5) if he will list the European Union countries which currently have artificially fluoridated public water supplies, indicating the percentage of the population covered.[6200]
546W
§ Mr. MaloneUnited Kingdom water companies supplying artificially fluoridated water supplies to various localities within their catchment include:
- Anglian Water
- Northumbrian Water
- North West Water
- Severn Trent Water
- South Staffordshire Water
- Thames Water
Data on the percentage of fluoridated water supplied are not collected centrally.
On 20 November 1996, the Minister of Health met representatives of the North West Councils Against Fluoridation, whose delegation included members of the National Pure Water Association. The meeting concerned the Government's water fluoridation policy. A similar meeting with Department of Health officials was held last June. Department of Health officials meet the British Fluoridation Society two or three times a year to discuss water fluoridation. The last meeting was in March this year.
The Department has not funded research either wholly or partly into water fluoridation. Water fluoridation at 1 mg per litre is considered, on the scientific evidence currently available, to be safe for humans, and is an effective way of improving oral health. The Department of Health will continue to monitor information relevant to the safety and efficacy of fluoridation of drinking water.
Information on representation for and against fluoridation made to the Government is not available.
The European Union countries currently artificially fluoridating the public water supplies are the United Kingdom covering 10 per cent. of the population, the Republic of Ireland covering 73 per cent. of the population and Spain 10 per cent. of the population.