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DNA (Insurance)

Mr. Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what safeguards will be introduced on the use of individuals' DNA by (a) the insurance industry, (b) employers, (c) doctors and (d) others, with particular reference to the ownership of newly identified genes. [122305]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The recent White Paper, "Our Inheritance, our future—realising the potential of genetics in the NHS", sets out the stringent safeguards that the Government have already introduced on the use and ownership of individuals' DNA. These safeguards include a moratorium to 2006 on the use by insurers of any predicative genetic test results. With regards to further safeguards that will be introduced, the Government have made two commitments. These are:

To introduce legislation making it an offence to tests a person's DNA without their knowledge or consent, except as part of their medical treatment where consent is impossible to obtain, and use by the police and courts; and


To consider the evidence for unfair discrimination against people on the basis of their genetic characteristics and the appropriate means of addressing any concerns in this area.

Draft Food Supplements (England) Regulations

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account was taken by the Food Standards Agency of submissions regarding the draft Food Supplements (England) Regulations; and how many submissions were received from consumer groups on these Regulations. [122824]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) formally consulted on the draft Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003 from 23 October 2002 to 15 January 2003. A summary of responses received is on the FSA's website at: www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/ pdfs/draftfoodsapps03.PDF with all comments clearly attributed. Responses from Foodaware and Consumers for Health Choice are included. In amending the draft Regulations, the FSA carefully considered all responses received.

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Drug Treatment Regimes

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many visits have been made to France by Department of Health (a) officials and (b) Ministers to look at drug treatment regimes in the last five years. [121232]

Miss Melanie Johnson: We are not aware of any visits to France in the last five years by Department of Health Ministers or officials to look specifically at drug treatment regimes.

However, there is an exchange of information with the rest of Europe, on drugs and drug treatment, via the United Kingdom focal point. The UK focal point is one element of a European network of drugs information centres. The network is co-ordinated by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, a specialised agency for the European Union.

Fluoridation

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what areas of the UK receive water supplies which are fluoridated, broken down by (a) water authority and (b) the date fluoridation commenced. [121425]

Mr. Morley: I have been asked to reply.

The information currently available to the Department indicates that water fluoridation schemes are operated by Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water, Severn Trent and United Utilities. The schemes were introduced progressively between 1964 and 1985.

There are no water fluoridation schemes in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has collated on the safety of fluoride in the human body. [121426]

Miss Melanie Johnson: A review by the University of York found that the evidence showed that fluoridating water helps to reduce tooth decay with no evidence of adverse effects on general health. The report did, however, identify the need for more good quality research and the Department of Health asked the Medical Research Council (MRC) to suggest where it might be possible to strengthen the evidence base.

In its report, the MRC stated that available evidence does not suggest a link between water fluoridation and either cancer in general or any specific cancer type, including osteosarcoma or primary bone cancer, but recommended monitoring data collected on the incidence of cancer so that any aberrant trends in populations receiving fluoridated water could be investigated.

Other claims have been made for an association between fluoride ingestion and deficiencies in the immune system, reproductive and developmental (birth) defects, and effects on the kidney and gastrointestinal tract. The MRC considered the evidence for any significant health effects to be weak and did not recommend any specific research, although it recommended keeping research in these areas under review.

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Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to each health authority in order to implement the fluoridation of public drinking water. [121459]

Miss Melanie Johnson : Individual strategic health authorities would make arrangements with water companies to fluoridate their water, provided their populations were in favour. Costs would be determined by the size of the population covered and the structure of the local water distribution system. Initial conversion costs for a water treatment works might be around £250,000 with running costs, including that of the fluoride, about 40 pence per head of population per year.

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what research he has evaluated on the effectiveness of the use of fluoridation of water in reducing caries; [120803]

(2) what discussions he has had with the Medical Research Council on the impact of water fluoridation on human health. [120802]

Miss Melanie Johnson: All water supplies contain some fluoride and it was from observing different patterns of dental decay in areas of differing levels of naturally fluoridated water that the benefits of fluoride were first observed. The Government commissioned an up-to-date review of the evidence of the relationship between fluoride and health from the national health service Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at the University of York. Its report, "A Systematic Review of Water Fluoridation", published in September 2000, concluded that water fluoridation increased the number of children with no tooth decay by 15 per cent. The University of York report did, however, identify the need for more good quality research and the Department commissioned the Medical Research Council (MRC) to advise on how the evidence base might be strengthened. The MRC published its report in September 2002. The Chief Medical Officer and Chief Dental Officer are examining the MRCs research recommendations and will report on the implications for Government policy in the autumn.

Food Contaminants Regulations

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons lettuce and spinach are excluded from the Contaminants in Food (England) Regulations 2003/1478. [122841]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Lettuce and spinach are excluded from the English Regulations because of a derogation allowed by European Community law. This derogation allows United Kingdom farmers a transitional period during which to alter their farming practices to reduce the levels of nitrate in spinach and lettuce. The transitional period, which also applies in Ireland, Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands, is necessary due to the different climatic conditions that occur in Northern Europe. Cloudy weather during the growing period leads to lettuce and spinach having high nitrate concentrations and on occasion exceeding the maximum permitted levels set by legislation.

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The derogation is conditional on growers abiding by a code of practice and on levels of nitrate measured not representing a risk to public health. Codes of practice for farming of spinach and lettuce were published in 1999. These outline farming practices that, if followed, should reduce the concentrations of nitrate observed in lettuce and spinach. The Food Standards Agency undertakes statutory monitoring of nitrate levels in lettuce and spinach and submits the data to the EC on a yearly basis.

Food Labelling

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her policy is on food labelling with respect to caffeine. [120151]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Government are in favour of clear labelling of caffeine when it is used in foods. They therefore supported new European Union rules, which will require caffeine to be declared in ingredient lists when used as a flavouring: current legislation requires only the declaration "flavouring". The new rules will also require drinks containing caffeine in excess of 150 milligrams per litre to carry the declaration, "High caffeine content", together with the amount of caffeine expressed in milligrams per 100 millilitres. This will alert consumers to the presence of unexpectedly high levels of caffeine. The new rules will not apply to drinks based on tea or coffee.

Food Supplements

Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which food supplements which are safe will be removed from the market in 2005. [121254]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Food supplements, like other foods, are not subject to prior approval before marketing unless they are genetically modified or are "novel". Therefore, the Food Standards Agency does not hold detailed safety information about food supplement products on the UK market. These products are, however, required to comply with food law, including the Food Safety Act 1990.

According to information provided by industry, Annex I and Annex II of the Food Supplements Directive presently omit six minerals and many chemical sources of vitamins and minerals currently used in food supplements on the UK market. The provisions of The Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003 come into force on 1 August 2005; however, the regulations take advantage of the derogation in Article 4 of the directive which enables member states to allow, subject to certain criteria being met, the continued sale of products containing vitamin and mineral sources not yet on the permitted lists up until 1 January 2010.

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