HL Deb 09 July 2003 vol 651 cc44-5WA
Earl Baldwin of Bewdley

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answers by the Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 31 January 2001 (WA 66) on the promotional role of the British Fluoridation Society and the Lord Warner on 26 June (WA 39), whether they believe that evidence from the British Fluoridation Society about the public acceptability of fluoridation is likely to be reliable. [HL3697]

Lord Warner

Yes, the surveys the British Fluoridation Society commissioned were conducted by reputable opinion poll research groups. The results will be reliable within the parameters set for the conduct of such surveys.

Earl Baldwin of Bewdley

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Warner on 26 June (WA 39), why they describe the evidence of risks to overall health from fluoridation found by the National Health Service Centre of Reviews and Dissemination at the University of York (and discussed in the report of their systematic scientific review in 2000 in Section 8.5 on bone problems, Sections 9.1 and 9.6 on cancer and Section 10 on other negative effects) as "no evidence". [HL3698]

Lord Warner

The report Asystematic review of water fluoridation, published in September 2000 from the National Health Service Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at the University of York, concludes in Section 12.4 that, "The best available evidence on the association of water fluoridation and bone fractures … show(s) no association. Similarly, the best available evidence on the association of water fluoridation and cancers … show(s) no association.

The miscellaneous other adverse effects studies did not provide enough good quality evidence on any particular outcome to reach conclusions".