Tag: Earl Baldwin of Bewdley

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Earl Baldwin of Bewdley on 2015-12-15.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their view on the merits of reducing the concentration of fluoride in water supplies subject to fluoridation schemes from 1.0 to around 0.7 part per million, in the light of the experience of countries such as Canada, the Republic of Ireland, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Lord Prior of Brampton

Public Health England advise that there is no current evidence from monitoring data to support a variation of the target level for fluoride in drinking water.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Earl Baldwin of Bewdley on 2016-02-01.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 19 January (HL Deb, col 641) about the potential fortification of bread with folic acid to prevent neural tube defects in pregnancy, why they do not apply the argument around choice and whether or not it is right to medicate the entire population for the benefit of a fairly small part of it” to the fluoridation of water supplies to prevent caries.”

Lord Prior of Brampton

It has been the policy of successive governments that decisions on water fluoridation are best taken locally. There is a duty to consult the local population where local authorities propose the establishment of a new water fluoridation scheme. Some areas of the country have water supplies that naturally contain levels of fluoride similar to the target level for water fluoridation schemes where the levels are adjusted.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Earl Baldwin of Bewdley on 2016-02-01.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 16 January 2013 (HL4464), whether the potential disadvantages as well as advantages of water fluoridation for young children are enjoyed regardless of personal behaviour”.”

Lord Prior of Brampton

Scientific reviews over many years have shown that water fluoridation is an effective and safe public health measure. It is known that consuming fluoride in water at levels permitted by United Kingdom legislation, whether as a result of fluoridation or present naturally, can contribute to the risk of dental fluorosis, as can other sources of fluoride such as toothpaste if swallowed in excessive amounts.

In 2014 Public Health England published Water fluoridation Health monitoring report for

England, acting as guidance for dental teams on the prevention of dental disease in their patients. This included advice on reducing the risk of dental fluorosis from toothpaste ingestion among their patients, in particular young children. A copy of this guidance is attached.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Earl Baldwin of Bewdley on 2016-02-01.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the percentage of water involved in fluoridation schemes that reaches the teeth of children it is designed to benefit, taking account of industrial, agricultural, municipal, domestic and other usage, and of the leakage from mains supplies.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The 2008 Water Strategy for England reported that households account for 52% of the use of public water supplies. Around 7% of the water used in homes is used for drinking and cooking; an additional percentage will be used for tooth brushing.

There are no separate figures for water supplied in fluoridation schemes. Such schemes tend to supply more urban areas and it is reasonable to expect a greater domestic use than would be the case for supplies serving areas with significant agricultural or industrial use.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Earl Baldwin of Bewdley on 2016-06-06.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 12 October 2015 (HL1940), what assessment they have made of the reasons why systematic scientific reviews, such as Cochrane reviews, adopt specific and relatively narrow criteria”.”

Lord Prior of Brampton

The 2015 Cochrane review Water fluoridation for the prevention of dental caries was an update of a Cochrane review first completed in 2000. A panel of experts agreed the search criteria in the original review, and the update kept these largely unchanged.

The National Institute for Health Research is currently funding an evaluation of a water fluoridation scheme in Cumbria. This started in 2013 and the final report is expected to be published in 2021. Findings from the evaluation will be available for consideration in any subsequent systematic reviews relating to water fluoridation.