IT IS regrettable that the demise of enforced fluoridation as reported in the Echo (July 20) still carries a question mark.

I was speaking to someone a couple of weeks ago who said that his understanding of the latest legal requirement was that for a scheme to be pursued there had to be a definite contract in place at the end of March.

PHE, as quoted in the article, admits that no such contract exists; and letters from Southern Water appear to say the same thing.

In Southern Water’s ‘Strategic Statement’, the following promise appears: “We’re committed to delivering water you can trust and we will ensure that whatever happens we maintain our current high standards”.

This clearly rules out fluoridation. May I draw attention to the words ‘committed’, ‘trust’, ‘ensure’, to the phrase ‘whatever happens’, and the date.

A month ago I requested from Southern Water an explanation of what they supposed the public would understand by these words, though as yet I have received no reply.

G. PAYNE, Southampton.