Freedom of Information Team
Department of Health and Social Care
39 Victoria Street
London SW1H 0EU
www.gov.uk/dhsc
Ms Joy Warren
By email to: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
11 July 2022
Dear Ms Warren,
Freedom of Information Request Reference FOI-1410492
Thank you for your request dated 29 June to the Department of Health and Social Care
(DHSC), a copy of which can be found in the accompanying annex.
Your request has been handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).
DHSC does not hold information relevant to your request.
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is required by legislation to monitor the
effects of water fluoridation schemes on the health of people living in the areas covered by
these arrangements, and to produce reports at no greater than four-yearly intervals.
The latest report, published earlier this year, can be found
Water fluoridation health
monitoring report 2022 (publishing.service.gov.uk).
The report states ‘The findings of the 2022 health monitoring report are consistent with the
view that water fluoridation at levels within the UK regulatory limit (<1.5mg/l) is an
effective, safe, and equitable public health intervention to reduce the prevalence, severity,
and consequences of dental caries. It supports previous findings that these benefits are
greatest in the most deprived areas, thereby contributing to reducing dental health
inequalities.
If you are not satisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to appeal by
asking for an internal review. This should be sent to
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx or
to the address at the top of this letter and be submitted within two months of the date of
this letter.
Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communication.
If you are not content with the outcome of your internal review, you may complain directly
to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Generally, the ICO cannot make a
decision unless you have already appealed our original response and received our internal
review decision. You should raise your concerns with the ICO within three months of your
last meaningful contact with us.
Guidance on contacting the ICO can be found at
https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us and
information about making a complaint can be found a
t https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint.
Yours sincerely,
Freedom of Information Team
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx
Annex
Dear Department of Health and Social Care,
I last asked Public Health England in 2018 to demonstrate that Water Fluoridation was a
safe intervention. Here is the reference:
Request-467681
Our ref: 27/02/lh/914
20 March 2018
Briefly, the reply was "Public Health England does not hold the requested information."
There may have been research published since March 2018 so can you please provide
me with the abstracts and author details of Randomised Controlled Trials and Cohort
Studies (i.e. original primary research) which have been undertaken and published since
March 2018 which have conclusively shown that the practice of water fluoridation when
using hexafluorosilicic acid and disodium fluorosilicate is safe for humans.
Please do not send me information relating to Systematic Reviews or information from the
other levels of the Evidence Pyramid, a Pyramid which was published by the NHS in 2013
in its publication
https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.england.nhs.u
k%2Fwp-
content%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cdhmail%40dhsc.gov.uk%7C906dafccd7d6415d547
d08da59faec54%7C61278c3091a84c318c1fef4de8973a1c%7C1%7C0%7C63792123147
5188841%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLC
JBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=bgTaih6XJOsM
AaJxrp%2Bzi%2Fh2ej8zEDMMImnVg%2F2iFec%3D&reserved=0... /tis-guide-
finding-the-evidence-07nov.pdf .
Yours faithfully,
Joy Warren
