§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that daily dietary supplements of folic acid remain available under the terms of the forthcoming European directive on dietary supplements to those women who are at risk of bearing children with neural tube defects;
(2) what assessment he has made of the impact of the forthcoming European directive on dietary supplements on the availability of those folic acid supplements which the chief medical officer's expert advisory group has recommended should be taken daily by women at risk of bearing children with neural tube defects.
§ Mr. SoamesNo proposals for a directive on dietary supplements have yet been made by the Commission. However, our policy is to ensure the continued availability of safe and properly labelled products, including folic acid supplements.