§ Earl Baldwin of Bewdley asked Her Majesty's GovernmentWhy they intend to encourage local authorities in areas of poor dental health to consider water fluoridation, given the conclusion in Section 12.9 of the report of the systematic scientific review of fluoridation, which they commissioned from the National Health Centre for Reviews and Dessemination at York, that the quality of the existing evidence was "generally low". [HL296)
§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath:The Systematic Review of Water Fluoridation report commissioned from the University of York found evidence that both children and adults living in fluoridated areas where overall health is poor had less tooth decay than those living in non-fluoridated areas. We want health authorities in areas of high dental decay to consider holding consultations in which local people could give their current views on fluoridation in the light of the report's findings.
§ Earl Baldwin of Bewdleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why a Working Group of the Medical Research Council has been asked to provide advice on current scientific evidence regarding the health effects of water fluoridation and to consider whether further research in this area is required, given that the systematic scientific review of water fluoridation which the Government commissioned from the National Health Service Centre for Reviews and Dessemination at York, and which reported on 6 October 2000, has already provided answers to these questions. [HL297]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath:The review showed that fluoridation does reduce dental decay and found no evidence of serious adverse effects on oral health, but there was a lack of high quality research. We have, therefore, asked the Medical Research Council to suggest how it might be possible to strengthen the evidence currently available.
§ Earl Baldwin of Bewdleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they intend to continue to make financial contributions to the British Fluoridation Society; and, if so, why. [HL298]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath:The Department of Health intends to continue to make financial contributions because of the British Fluoridation Society's role in collecting and maintaining relevant information, including evidence from research studies on the effects of fluoridation.