Bread and Flour Regulations 1998

Lord Patel Excerpts

Wednesday 11th December 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

Please do not apologise. We are seeing through all the measures that are possible to reduce dental decay as part of our prevention policies, and that includes introducing supervised toothbrushing for young children. I know that a number of noble Lords are interested in the matter of fluoridation—they have raised it with me in discussions about dentistry—and I will be pleased to write to my noble friend.

[Lord Patel (CB)]

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Rooker, is right to mention Nick Wald; he pioneered the study that I was part of when I was on the steering committee of the MRC. The important point I want to make is that it is before pregnancy starts and in its early phases that folic acid is most important; it is not about prescribing it once the pregnancy is established. I speak as someone who had to look after many mothers who had neural tube defects, such as anencephaly.

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

The noble Lord’s observation is, obviously, right. Folic acid contributes, for example, to tissue growth during pregnancy, as well as to the normal function of the immune system and to reducing tiredness and fatigue. As for the point I made earlier, one of the strong reasons for this policy is that 50% of pregnancies are not planned. Therefore, it is about ensuring that folic acid is available in a diet before pregnancy, whether or not that pregnancy is planned. That is vital.