Kia ora

  

Thank you for your request for official information. The reference number
for your request is: H2023022609

  

As required under the Official Information Act 1982, Manatū Hauora will
endeavour to respond to your request no later than 20 working days after
the day your request was received. If you'd like to calculate the
timeframe, you can use the Ombudsman's online calculator
here: [1]http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/  

  

If you have any queries related to this request, please do not hesitate to
get in touch. 

 

Ngā mihi 

 

OIA Services Team 

M[2]inistry of Health information releases 
U[3]nite against COVID-19 

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References

Visible links
1. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/
2. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
3. https://covid19.govt.nz/

Kia ora S Robinson, 

Thank you for your request for official information received on 27 March
2023 for: 

Is the Ministry of Health aware of the recent report led by the National
Toxicology Program (NTP) that was suppressed by the United States
government which found fluoride can reduce IQ?   

...Please provide all correspondence, minutes of meetings, internal and
external memos, including text messages that mention fluoridation and/or
fluoride between the Ministry of Health and any other person or agency
between the period of January 1, 2023, up until, and including today
March 27, 2023.  

When the government approved the use of fluoride in our water supply
were any of the following reviews and studies included? If not, why
not?   

* ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp.1104912  
* ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-019-0551-x   
* pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21255877/  
* www.researchgate.net/publication/312057754_Mechanisms_of_Fluoride_Neurotoxicity_A_quick_guide_to_the_literature 
 
* www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651322008612    

With regards to the recent meta-analysis, reviews and lawsuits involving
water fluoridation will there be a review of the government's decision
to fluoridate our countries water supply? If not, why not? 
Please disclose what form of fluoride is added to our water supply.” 

We are contacting you in accordance with section 18B of the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act) as part of your request, as it is currently
worded, is for a very large volume of information. The following part of
your request may be refused under section 18(f) of the Act as the
information requested cannot be made available without substantial
collation or research: 

“...Please provide all correspondence, minutes of meetings, internal and
external memos, including text messages that mention fluoridation and/or
fluoride between the Ministry of Health and any other person or agency
between the period of January 1, 2023, up until, and including today
March 27, 2023.” 

This part of your request would require collating thousands of documents.
A significant portion of these are texts and emails, which also require
individual assessment of each piece of correspondence to discern its
contents. This would place an unreasonable degree of strain on the team
responsible and would interfere with the day-to-day workings of the
Ministry. Therefore, we are suggesting that you limit this part of your
request to official correspondence such as memos, reports and briefings. 

Can you please confirm by 4 April 2023 that you are happy with the
suggested refinement so that we can consider your refinement in our
response to this part of your request. 

Please note, under section 15 of the Official Information Act 1982, any
clarification or amendments made to a request within seven days after the
date it is received, that request may be treated as a new request and the
time limit for the response restarts. 

Under section 28(3) of the Act you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to
review any decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be
contacted by email at: [email address] or by calling 0800 802
602.   

Ngā mihi   

OIA Services Team

Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health

M[1]inistry of Health information releases 
U[2]nite against COVID-19 

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References

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1. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
2. https://covid19.govt.nz/

Kia ora S Robinson,
Yes, that is correct. As stated in our original email, your request as it
stands would require collating thousands of documents and may be refused
under section 18(f) of the Act as the information requested cannot be made
available without substantial collation or research.
Can you please confirm if you are happy to refine part of your request
to official correspondence such as memos, reports and briefings?
We look forward to hearing your response.

Ngā mihi 

  

OIA Services Team

Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health

M[1]inistry of Health information releases 
U[2]nite against COVID-19 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: S Robinson <[FOI #22280 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 30 March 2023 10:22
To: OIA Requests <[email address]>
Subject: Re: Refinement of your request for information, ref: H2023022609
(CRM:0117220)
 
Dear OIA Requests,

The suggestion is that my OIA request proceed with the exclusion of a
keyword search of "fluoride and fluoridation" from emails and text
messages for a less than 3 month period as it would place an unreasonable
degree of strain on the team responsible?

Yours sincerely,

S Robinson

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Kia ora S Robinson,
As suggested in our original request for refinement on 29 March 2023, due
to the thousands of documents that will be in scope if correspondence
(text messages and emails) with the key word fluoride and fluoridation are
included in your request, your request may be refused under section 18(f)
of the Act as the information requested cannot be made without substantial
collation or research.
Manatū Hauora is happy to progress your request with the following
refinement: All official documents including, memos, reports and briefings
that include fluoridation and/or fluoride between the Ministry of Health
and any other person or agency between the period of March 10, 2023, up
until, and including today March 30, 2023.
Can you please let us know by 5pm 5 April 2023 if you are happy with the
above suggested refinement.
Please note, under section 15 of the Official Information Act 1982, any
clarification or amendments made to a request within seven days after the
date it is received, that request may be treated as a new request and the
time limit for the response restarts.

Ngā mihi 

  

OIA Services Team

Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health

M[1]inistry of Health information releases 
U[2]nite against COVID-19 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: S Robinson <[FOI #22280 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 30 March 2023 20:12
To: OIA Requests <[email address]>
Subject: Re: Refinement of your request for information, ref: H2023022609
(CRM:0117220)
 
Dear OIA Requests,

Please refine my OIA request to the following -

1) Please provide all documents, correspondence, minutes of meetings,
internal and external memos, including text messages that include
fluoridation and/or fluoride between the Ministry of Health and any other
person or agency between the period of March 10, 2023, up until, and
including today March 30, 2023.

2) With respect to the report led by the National Toxicology Program (NTP)
that was suppressed by the United States government regarding water
fluoridation, is there consideration for a review of the government's
decision to fluoridate our countries water supply?

[3]https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...

Yours sincerely,

S Robinson

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Kia ora S Robinson,
Please find attached the response for your request for official
information.

Ngā mihi   

OIA Services Team

Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health

M[1]inistry of Health information releases 
U[2]nite against COVID-19 

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
2. https://covid19.govt.nz/

Kia ora

  

Thank you for your request for official information. The reference number
for your request is: H2023023991

  

As required under the Official Information Act 1982, Manatū Hauora will
endeavour to respond to your request no later than 20 working days after
the day your request was received. If you'd like to calculate the
timeframe, you can use the Ombudsman's online calculator
here: [1]http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/  

  

If you have any queries related to this request, please do not hesitate to
get in touch. 

 

Ngā mihi 

 

OIA Services Team 

M[2]inistry of Health information releases 
U[3]nite against COVID-19 

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/
2. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
3. https://covid19.govt.nz/

Kia ora S Robinson, 

Thank you for your request for official information received on 21 April
2023 as a follow up to your request (H2023022609 refers). Please find a
response to each part of your request: 

 1. Please provide all documents, correspondence, minutes of meetings,
internal and external memos, including text messages that include
fluoridation and/or fluoride between the Ministry of Health and any
other person or agency between the period of March 10, 2023, up until,
and including today March 30, 2023. 

As you were advised in your previous request for information
(ref. H2023022609) as you did not refine your request to official
correspondence only, this part of your request is refused under section
18(f) of the Act, as the information requested cannot be made available
without substantial collation or research. I have considered whether
changing or extending the time to compile the information would enable us
to respond. However, I do not believe it is in the public interest to do
so. 

Please be aware that including all correspondence that mentions
fluoridation and/or fluoride, including emails and text messages, not
limited to official correspondence, would require collating thousands of
documents. As a significant portion of these are texts and emails,
this would also require individual assessment of each piece of
correspondence to discern its   contents. This would place an unreasonable
degree of strain on the team responsible and would interfere with the
day-to-day workings of the Ministry. Manatū Hauora is open to responding
to this part of your request in the future if you choose to refine your
request as stated above. 

 2. With respect to the report led by the National Toxicology Program
(NTP) that was suppressed by the United States government regarding
water fluoridation, is there consideration for a review of the
government's decision to fluoridate our countries water supply? 

Manatū Hauora is aware of the National Toxicology Program (NTP) report. I
am advised that the report has not been suppressed but is currently under
review. Peer review is a crucial part of the scientific process, and
robust analysis is important for it to be able to withstand scientific
scrutiny.   

In 2014, a comprehensive report was published by the Royal Society Te
Apārangi, prepared jointly with the Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief
Science Advisor, reviewing the substantial body of scientific evidence on
the efficacy and safety of fluoridation of public drinking water supplies.
The report concluded that there are no adverse health effects of any
significance arising from fluoridation at the levels used in New
Zealand.  

 

In June 2021, the Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor
released an evidence update on community water fluoridation. The update
confirmed that the conclusions of the 2014 report remain appropriate.
These reviews are publicly available and can be found at:
[1]www.pmcsa.ac.nz/topics/fluoridation-an-update-on-evidence. You will see
that the studies considered are referenced throughout the report and links
to further reading and resources are provided.  

 

Please note that Manatū Hauora stands by the decision made in response to
your request for information (H2023022609 refers), and as you have been
previously informed under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to
ask the Ombudsman to review any decisions made under your requests. The
Ombudsman may be contacted by email at: [email address] or by
calling 0800 802 602.     

  

Ngā mihi  

 

OIA Services Team

Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health

M[2]inistry of Health information releases 
U[3]nite against COVID-19 

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References

Visible links
1. https://www.pmcsa.ac.nz/topics/fluoridat...
2. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
3. https://covid19.govt.nz/