SHA answer on board member's apparent ignorance

When I attended the recent Strategic Health Authority meeting where all the 12 members of the board ignored the 72% of the 10,000 submissions against fluoridation and imposed it on us Katherine Fenton a board member put a question to Prof Newton another board member.

This is what Katherine Fenton actually said.
"Question about fluorosis - who gets fluorosis and once they've got it, is it forever or or is it every age range who gets it?"

When I wrote asking how could a board member be so ignorant after three month's intensive consultation this is the reply I got.

With regard to a Board member's question on whether fluorosis was permanent, you will appreciate that, on occasions, an issue may be in order to inform the general debate, rather than because the individual concerned is unaware of the answer. The question on the permanence of fluorosis would be a valid question for a member of the public to require an answer to and did not necessarily reflect the knowledge of
the Director concerned.

Question - was Katherine asking because she did not know or asking for the benefit of the public?
Bearing in mind that the public who were there on sufferance as the chairman said it was not a public meeting but a board meeting in public.