UK - Daily Echo - Cameron.- 'I'm against plans to add fluoride

Cameron.- 'I'm against plans to add fluoride
By Julian Robinson
julian.robinson@dailyecho.co.uk
THE man who is favourite to be Britain's next Prime Minister last night told the Daily Echo he was against plans to add fluoride to tap water.
But David Cameron stopped short of joining the Daily Echo in calling for a referendum. He echoed rival Gordon Brown's stance that the decision on whether to give it the go-ahead should be made locally
The controversial scheme, aimed at improving dental health, is currently the subject of a judicial review after fluoridation was given the green light across 200,000 homes in Southampton, Eastleigh, Totton and Netley
Critics say the chemical should not be added to water supplies accusing the scheme of being "compulsory medication".
When asked about his views on whether the matter should be decided by the ballot box, the Tory leader said: "I have always taken the view that this is something that should be decided locally and I don't believe in compulsory fluoridation of water.
"In the last vote we had, I think I voted against that idea. But if there is a local process in place and a local decision can be made, I think that seems a fair way of doing it."
His comments came during a two-stop tour of Hampshire in which he visited a training centre in Chandler's Ford and later fielded questions at Mountbatten School in Romsey as part of his "Cameron Direct" programme.
He faced a grilling by an audience of more than 150 on subjects ranging from the expenses scandal to Fathers4Justice.
During the question and answer session, he appeared to back the Government's academy schools - even though Southampton's two academies have proved controversial with parents, teachers and students since they were set up in 2008.
Elsewhere he called for an end to the "top down" demand for housing, which he said was putting pressure on areas such as Romsey and called for more localised planning decisions.
He also pledged to stage a "free vote" in the House of Commons on fox hunting and said he would vote to end the ban.
He said: "I think it was a bad bit of law and brought the criminal justice system into disrepute."
Earlier in the day he had called in to the New Career Skills Ltd headquarters in Chandler's Ford to see how those out of employment were developing the ability to work in new trades.
The head of the electrical department at the organisation Cliff Baker said: "I would like to think he learned a lot - especially when he spoke to some of the people who had finished their training.
' "We had some very frank discussions about where we were going and what was needed. There were no promises, but he listened.