Speech in Grand Committee - Wed 26 Nov 2025
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
"My Lords, I rise briefly to support my noble friend Lord Kamall on the Front Bench. I have not taken part in these debates before, but I have to say that I find it quite disturbing that we should be making laws because perhaps we do not like walking down …..."Lord Robathan - View Speech
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Written Question
Monday 12th February 2024
Asked by:
Lord Robathan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 3 January (HL1166), whether they are encouraging the fluoridation of drinking water supplies, given that the report cited in the Answer Water Fluoridation: Health Monitoring Report for England 2022 noted that there was contradictory evidence relating to adverse neurodevelopmental effects in children.
Answered by Lord Markham
- Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Health and Care Act 2022 transferred responsibility for water fluoridation from local authorities to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. This was to make it simpler to expand water fluoridation schemes. Subject to a public consultation, which will be published shortly, the Government has announced its intention to expand the current water fluoridation scheme across the North East of England.
The overall weight of evidence and authoritative reviews of relevant and suitable studies indicate that there is no convincing evidence that fluoride at the levels permitted in fluoridated drinking water present a risk of adverse neurodevelopmental effects in children.
Written Question
Wednesday 3rd January 2024
Asked by:
Lord Robathan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of studies in the United States, Canada and China which have concluded that high levels of fluoride permanently reduce the IQ of children.
Answered by Lord Markham
- Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
Some studies from these countries have reported a reduction in IQ in children associated with exposure to relatively high levels of fluoride. However, the overall weight of evidence and authoritative reviews of relevant and suitable studies indicate that there is no convincing evidence that fluoride at the levels permitted in fluoridated drinking water present a risk of adverse neurodevelopmental effects in children.
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Victoria Atkins MP) continues to have a duty to monitor the effects of water fluoridation schemes on health and to produce reports at no greater than four-yearly intervals. The last monitoring report for England was published in 2022. This supported the findings of earlier monitoring reports and the wider evidence that water fluoridation, at levels recommended in the United Kingdom, is a safe and effective public health measure to reduce dental caries and inequalities in dental health.
Written Question
Wednesday 3rd January 2024
Asked by:
Lord Robathan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk to the neurodevelopment of children from fluoride, particularly if administered through its addition to water supplies.
Answered by Lord Markham
- Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Water Fluoridation: Health Monitoring Report for England 2022 considered the overall weight of evidence and authoritative reviews of relevant and suitable studies. These indicate that there is no convincing evidence that fluoride at the levels permitted in fluoridated drinking water present a risk of adverse neurodevelopmental effects in children.
A copy of the report is attached.
Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 17 Nov 2022
Childhood Obesity
"My Lords, is it not the case that we have had strategy after strategy, all well intentioned—we all agree on what we want to do—but it is not working? The Government pussyfoot around this. As my noble friend Lord McColl said, we need to tell people that it is not …..."Lord Robathan - View Speech
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Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 30 Jun 2022
Mental Health: Advertising and Body Image
"My Lords, what assessment have Her Majesty’s Government made of the link between body image, obesity, childhood obesity, diabetes, cancer and early death?..."Lord Robathan - View Speech
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Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 09 Feb 2022
Covid-19: Lockdowns
"To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the paper A Literature Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Lockdowns on COVID-19 Mortality, published in January; and in particular, the conclusions that (1) lockdown measures during the pandemic reduced COVID-19 mortality by 0.2 per cent on …..."Lord Robathan - View Speech
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Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 09 Feb 2022
Covid-19: Lockdowns
"My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for that reasoned Answer. I have absolutely no idea whether these conclusions are correct, but does my noble friend think that the formulation of government medical policy should be influenced by a wider range of scientific advice, such as that from …..."Lord Robathan - View Speech
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Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 15 Dec 2021
Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Self-Isolation) (England) (Amendment) (No. 6) Regulations 2021
"My Lords, I will start with a quote:
“It always suits Governments … to scarify the population.”
This was specifically about the ID cards Bill in 2005, when
“only a handful of principled Tories stuck up for liberty, and they were duly overwhelmed by the Government.”
The same person …..."Lord Robathan - View Speech
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Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 15 Dec 2021
Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Entry to Venues and Events) (England) Regulations 2021
"Leave out after “that” and insert “this House declines to approve the Regulations”...."Lord Robathan - View Speech
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