§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the membership and what are the terms of reference of the Committee on the Medical Aspects of Food Policy; and if the report being prepared on the relationship between diet and cardiovascular disease will be made public.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe membership of the Committee on the Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA) is as follows:
- Sir Henry Yellowlees, KCB (chairman)—chief medical officer.
- Professor A. E. Bender.
- Dr. H. W. Bunjé
- Dr. G. Crompton.
- Professor J. V. G. A. Durnin.
- Dr. G. A. H. Elton.
- Professor A. N. Exton-Smith, CBE.
- Dr. J. S. Garrow.
- Professor F. E. Hytten.
- Professor H. Keen.
- Professor J. K. Lloyd.
- Professor T. Oppé
- Professor J. W. G. Porter.
- Professor P. J. Randle, FRS.
- Dr. J. J. A. Reid.
- Professor A. G. Shaper.
- Dr. M. Whitehead.
- Dr. R. G. Whitehead.
Its terms of reference are:
To consider and advise on:
- a. The medical and scientific aspects of policy in relation to nutrition.
- b. At the request of, or in association with, the Food Standards Committee, the Advisory Committee on Pesticides, the Food Additives and Contaminants Committee, the Milk and Milk Products Technical Advisory Committee or any other committee as appropriate, the medical and nutritional aspects of developments in the agricultural and food industries including the fortification and extraction of food.
- c. At the request of Departments, matters falling within these terms of reference.
COMA has set up a Panel of experts with the following terms of reference:
To Advise the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy on the significance of the relation between nutrition and cardiovascular disease and to make recommendations. It is expected that the Panel's report to COMA will be published in due course.