House of Commons
Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) on what date he expects (a) Southampton city council and (b) New Forest district council to take over responsibility from the South Central Strategic Health Authority for deciding whether fluoride should be added to drinking water in their areas; [82660]
(2) what his policy is on the appropriateness of the decision of the South Central Strategic Health Authority to proceed with the fluoridation of drinking water in (a) Southampton and (b) part of the New Forest East constituency whilst (i) Southampton city council and (ii) New Forest district council remain opposed to it. [82664]
30 Nov 2011 : Column 960W
Anne Milton: South Central strategic health authority (SHA) has complied with the current legislation, which was in force in 2008 when the SHA conducted the consultation on the fluoridation scheme. Under regulation 5 of The Water Fluoridation (Consultation) (England) Regulations 2005, SHAs have to determine the outcome of a consultation “having regard to the extent of support for the proposal and the cogency of the arguments advanced ...”.
The Health and Social Care Bill currently before Parliament provides for responsibility for consultations on fluoridation to transfer to local authorities. The Bill includes powers to make new regulations which will include the criteria which local authorities should apply in determining when consultations on the continuance of existing fluoridation schemes should be conducted. We will be consulting on the content of these regulations before they are laid before Parliament.
Who will they consult? In 2004 the British Fluoride Society, the UK Public Health Association, the British Dental Association and the Faculty of Public Health published an extensive document called One in a Million that set out the benefits of fluoridation The Chief Medical Officer wrote the forward as he and all previous Chief Medical Officers have backed fluoridation as well as the British Medical Association. Not forgetting all Governments.
(2) what his policy is on the appropriateness of the decision of the South Central Strategic Health Authority to proceed with the fluoridation of drinking water in (a) Southampton and (b) part of the New Forest East constituency whilst (i) Southampton city council and (ii) New Forest district council remain opposed to it. [82664]
30 Nov 2011 : Column 960W
Anne Milton: South Central strategic health authority (SHA) has complied with the current legislation, which was in force in 2008 when the SHA conducted the consultation on the fluoridation scheme. Under regulation 5 of The Water Fluoridation (Consultation) (England) Regulations 2005, SHAs have to determine the outcome of a consultation “having regard to the extent of support for the proposal and the cogency of the arguments advanced ...”.
The Health and Social Care Bill currently before Parliament provides for responsibility for consultations on fluoridation to transfer to local authorities. The Bill includes powers to make new regulations which will include the criteria which local authorities should apply in determining when consultations on the continuance of existing fluoridation schemes should be conducted. We will be consulting on the content of these regulations before they are laid before Parliament.
Who will they consult? In 2004 the British Fluoride Society, the UK Public Health Association, the British Dental Association and the Faculty of Public Health published an extensive document called One in a Million that set out the benefits of fluoridation The Chief Medical Officer wrote the forward as he and all previous Chief Medical Officers have backed fluoridation as well as the British Medical Association. Not forgetting all Governments.
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