§ Earl Baldwin of Bewdleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the advice reported to have been given recently in a letter by health and environment Ministers to the Deputy Prime Minister, that steps 63WA are now necessary to facilitate new fluoridation schemes because these represent the best way of preventing dental decay, was given; whether it represents government policy; and, if so, whether it was given with or without the advice of the Chief Medical Officer; and [HL2876]
Whether the suggestion reported to have been made recently in a letter by health and environment Ministers to the Deputy Prime Minister, that people who do not wish to receive fluoridated water through the mains supply will he able to use water filters, was made; whether it represents government policy; if so, what the approximate costs of installing and maintaining filters will be; and who will bear those costs. [HL2877]
§ Baroness AndrewsThe Government wish to empower health communities to make well informed choices about improving oral health including the option of deciding whether to fluoridate their water. We are particularly attracted by the potential fluoridation offers for reducing inequalities in oral health. The Chief Medical Officer and Chief Dental Officer are considering the implications of the recent Medical Research Council reportWater Fluoridation and Health for the development of government policy on fluoridation.
§ Baroness Byfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Medical Research Council took evidence into claims that fluoridated water affects the immune system, the reproductive system. child development, bone cancer and stomach complaints as part of the report released on 5 September 2002. [HL2880]
§ Baroness AndrewsA review by the University of York found that the evidence showed that fluoridating water helps to reduce tooth decay with no evidence of other adverse effects on general health. The report did, however, identify the need for more good quality research and the Department of Health asked the Medical Research Council (MRC) to suggest where it might be possible to strengthen the evidence base.
In its report, the MRC stated that available evidence does not suggest a link between water fluoridation and either cancer in general or any specific cancer type (including osteosarcoma, primary bone cancer), but recommended that we monitored data collected on the incidence of cancer so that any aberrant trends in populations receiving fluoridated water could be investigated.
Other claims have been made for an association between fluoride ingestion and deficiencies in the immune system, reproductive and developmental (birth) defects, and effects on the kidney and gastrointestinal tract. The MRC considered the evidence for any significant health effects to be weak and did not recommend any specific research, although it recommended we keep research in these areas under review.