§ Mr. RostTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will itemise the draft European Community directives currently under consideration relating to alternative and complementary medicine; what representations he is making in Brussels to ensure their acceptability; and what consultations are taking place and with which representatives of United Kingdom bodies likely to be affected by such directives.
§ Mr. FreemanThe services of the commission have under consideration proposals relating to the harmonisation of requirements for the marketing of homeopathic products. These have been the subject of preliminary discussion with member states. United Kingdom interests will have the opportunity to comment on any proposals for draft directives following their formal publication by the commission.
§ Mr. RostTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will itemise the expenditure on research funding and other financial support allocated to alternative and complementary medicine; and what percentage this represents of total funding by his Department on the medical research budget.
§ Mr. FreemanAs far as research is concerned I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Angus, East (Mr. Welsh) on 27 November at column102. The Department has given a grant of £60,000 over two years to the Research Council for Complementary Medicine towards the council's central adminstrative expenses.
§ Mr. RostTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what increased role he anticipates for alternative and complementary medicine resulting from the pending structural reforms in the National Health Service;
(2) what is his assessment of the impact of his proposed reforms in the National Health Service on a wider availability of alternative and complementary therapies, for patients within the National Health Service.
§ Mr. FreemanWe have no proposals to make alternative and complementary therapies more widely available within the NHS.
Medical treatment provided under the NHS must by law be prescribed by a medical practitioner. Such practitioners can offer to use alternative or complementary therapies in their treatment of patients, but the wider use of such methods within the NHS depends upon those who use them persuading more of their fellow practitioners of the benefits and effectiveness of such treatment.