18 Jul 2013

Hampshire County Council consult QC

No existing scheme power now with Council.




For the complete coverage go to HCC video of meeting
The relevant bit starts at 01:49:33.  

Surprising Twist in Fluoridation Saga

I was ready to make a speech today at the full meeting of Hampshire County Council, supporting a motion that reaffirmed the position of Hampshire County Council, that we don't support any scheme without public consent and evidence that it is good for public health, rather than harms public health.
In the event, the motion was withdrawn, following a plea from the Leader, Cllr. Roy Perry. He explained that he had taken legal advice and it seems that it would be unwise for the council to predetermine a view, now that the law has changed giving the power to the County Council to decide such issues.
This, I interpret as good news, in that it has not so far been clear whether the power to decide the issue rests with Public Health England (taking over from the abolished Strategic Health Authority), or if it is for us County Councillors to decide. The legal opinion strongly suggests that the decision now rests with us !
After the meeting I was privately reassured by a very high level conservative Councillor that "Everything is soon to be clarified and that I need not worry".
It might be that Public Health England, who will now be required to work very much in partnership with local councils, have after-all accepted that they cannot simply progress a scheme in the face of such opposition.

In a further surprising move, Councillor Roy Perry undertook to see whether the newly created Health & Well Being Board would be willing to accept myself as a member. I am opposition Spokesman for Health. It would reflect the way in which the County Council seeks to work on a cross-party basis on health issues. Fingers crossed then, on both counts!

1 comment:

Cllr Chris Cooke said...

I would really like to see that QC Opinion!

After some years of trying to find out the evidence, I have become convinced that my own water supplier (South Staffs Water) was not "an existing scheme" on 20/12/1984 (as required by the 1985 Fluoridation Act). It had indeed "made arrangements" but no "work" (as defined in the Act) was done to "pursue" those "arrangements. That means it was NOT an existing scheme! Therefore it is an illegal scheme!

Our water supply was not fluoridated until 1987 (on an "agreement" signed in March 1982 - hardly likely is it?). And when I ask for the proof all I get is a copy of this 1982 "agreement".

Souths Staffs supplies around 25% of fluoridated water in this country - IMHV illegally. The present state of my communications with them is that I have invoiced them for the costs of cleaning my water (reverse osmisis equipment and maintenance) and will withhold such costs from my next bill if payment to me is not forthcoming.

So, you can see, a copy of this QC's judgement may be quite useful!

I'm also contested the addition of potentially 2% other poisons and heavy metal impurities. They would of course argue that the levels remain below accepted limits - conforms to standards etc.,etc., But at the end of the day - if I put anything containing arsenic, mercury, lead, etc. into the water supply - even if it did not exceed limits at the tap, I would expect to probably end up in prison!

For ten years I have been an Independent Borough councillor and fought each election on this issue. It's blatently obvious people don't want this poison in our water.

This year I have got onto the County Council with exactly the same anti-fluoride message. In fact also onto the County Health Committee - which promptly failed to accept the topic for discussion (one member being a Vice President of the British Fluoridation Society!)!!

It appears to me that areas that already have fluoridation have the politicians and bureaucrats all singing from the "Fluoride is wonderful" song-sheet and prepared to gag anything that says otherwise. The Hampshire news is great. But this is going to be a long battle for those areas who already have fluoride dosed into their water.