In 1991 UK water companies were privatised except in Scotland. These Water authorities were given responsibility to introduce the PFI and to be responsible for public consultation on water fluoridation. Health Authorities would pay all costs of fluoridation and hold indemnity. Both New Labour and the Conservatives are pro-fluoride, yet neither of these political parties mentioned fluoridation in their manifestos. The Liberal Democrat position is unclear.
Many politicians actively promote water fluoridation.
Although Health is an area devolved to the Scottish Parliament recent moves by the Scottish Executive towards fluoridation is in line with the enthusiasm of Ministers south of the Border. However, the review would appear to be fundamentally flawed from the outset since hundreds of scientific papers submitted to the Review which show adverse health effects have been excluded from consideration. In Scotland the results of this review will be taken as justification to order Local Health authorities to begin a consultation process. It is not yet clear what form this consultation will take. People have suffered from allergies, sickness and diarrhoea.