Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to make representations to Manchester City Council to give further consideration to fluoridation of the water supply in Greater Manchester; and whether any such representations will take account of the lower level of tooth decay amongst children in Birmingham, where the water supply has been fluoridated since 1964.

It has been the policy of successive governments that decisions on water fluoridation are best taken locally. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 gave powers to upper tier and unitary local authorities to make proposals in relation to fluoridation.

In 2014 Public Health England published a water fluoridation health monitoring report which showed lower levels of tooth decay in areas with water fluoridation.

Public Health England has also, in 2014, published an evidence informed toolkit for local authorities to support them in planning, reviewing and commissioning oral health improvement interventions for children and young people, including the potential role of water fluoridation.