§ Earl Baldwin of Bewdleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they accept the findings of the systematic scientific review of water fluoridation which they commissioned from the National Health Service Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at York and which were reported on 6 October 2000. [HL449]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath)The Government accept the findings of the review and have asked the Medical Research Council to give advice on how existing evidence can be strengthened.
56WA
§ Earl Baldwin of Bewdleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answers by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 17 January (WA 136), in what section of the report of the systematic scientific review of water fluoridation by the National Health Service Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at York is evidence to be found relating to areas where "overall health is poor", and to adults in such areas or in areas of social deprivation. [HL450]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathOn page 33 of the York report reference is made to a study which showed people in lower social classes had higher levels of dental caries. There are also studies which show that overall health is poor among people in lower social classes. On page 16, there is a reference to a study (Pot 1974) which "found the porportion of adults with false teeth to be statistically significantly greater in the control (low fluoride) area compared with the fluoridated areas".
We asked the Medical Research Council to set up a working group to give advice on what further research might be required.