§ Mr. Tim Collins (Westmorland and Lonsdale)Sometimes the purpose of a petition is to draw the House's attention to an issue for the first time; sometimes it is to remind the House that an issue remains live and that the strong feelings surrounding it have not diminished with the passage of time. It therefore gives me great pleasure to present a petition 1039 signed by some 295 of my constituents as part of the ongoing campaign on behalf of Consumers for Health Choice. It is part of a petition that has so far been signed by approximately 1 million people whose views remain strong, but unheard.
The petition states:
To the House of CommonsThe Petition from Consumers for Health Choice and its supporters declares that:Consumers in the United Kingdom have for many years maintained good health by choosing to take safe vitamin and mineral supplements and herbal remedies and fear that the European Food Supplements Directive and the proposed European Directive on Traditional Herbal Medicinal Herbal Products will severely restrict the number and range of such products on general retail sale in the future.The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges that the Secretary of State for Health does all in his power to protect the rights of UK consumers by ensuring that such European legislation does not unnecessarily and unacceptably restrict the availability of natural herbal products.
§ And the Petitioners remain, etc.
§ To lie upon the Table.