Earl Baldwin of Bewdleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answers by Baroness Jay of Paddington on 23 March (WA 234) and Baroness Hayman on 3 September (WA 26), whether they can show, or arrange for the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy to show, that they have adequately addressed the scientific evidence on the continuing discrepancy in advice about excessive intakes of fluoride, and give their reasons for preferring a guideline figure of 20–80mg/d rather than 10–20mg/d over 10 to 20 years as cited by other authorities, since this information is not apparent in either of the references they have hitherto quoted. (COMA Panel on Dietary Reference Values for Food Energy and Nutrients for the UK, 1996: Environmental Health Criteria 36; Fluorine and Fluorides, WHO 1984). [HL3703]
§ Baroness HaymanThe Panel on Dietary Reference Values of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy was not asked to provide, and did not provide, any "guideline figure" for skeletal fluorosis. It was asked "to review the Recommended Daily Amounts for food energy and nutrients for groups of people in the United Kingdom". For fluoride, the panel decided to derive "safe intakes" as defined in paragraph 1.3.18 of the Report on Dietary Reference Values for Food Energy and Nutrients for the United Kingdom. The report explains that the "safe intakes" are calculated on the basis of the average intakes in the UK in areas whose drinking water supply contains 1 ppm fluoride. There is no evidence that such exposures in the UK have caused, or will cause, clinical skeletal fluorosis.
Earl Baldwin of Bewdleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Hayman on 3 September (WA 24) whether they will cite the "continuing studies of the effects of fluoride in drinking-water on humans" referred to therein. [HL3704]
§ Baroness HaymanStudies are regularly published in relevant scientific and medical journals. There is a significant programme of work in progress in the United States of America. In the United Kingdom, the Medical Research Council Environmental Epidemiology Unit at Southampton will shortly be completing a report on Water Fluoridation and the Fracture of the Proximal Femur and the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry co-ordinates regular surveys of dental decay in children.
Earl Baldwin of Bewdleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What advice is given to doctors to be aware of the possibility of incipient skeletal fluorosis in patients who present with skeletal problems. [HL3705]
103WA
§ Baroness HaymanNo specific advice is required. As with other diseases, skeletal fluorosis should be considered where indicated by the clinical history and physical findings, and confirmed or excluded as appropriate by further radiological, biochemical and histological investigation.
Earl Baldwin of Bewdleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Hayman on 3 September (WA 24) on the lack of any direct measurement of total fluoride consumption in humans, whether they will now consider making individual fluoride monitoring available within the NHS. [HL3706]
§ Baroness HaymanMeasurement of fluoride levels in an individual is available through the National Health Service when clinically indicated.