HL Deb 12 January 1998 vol 584 cc172-3WA
The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the initial request that the safety of vitamin B6 be reviewed by the Committee on Toxicity came from the Consumers' Association; whether that association declared any interest in, or the receipt of any funding from, the pharmaceutical industry or any associated trusts; and. if so, which.

Lord Donoughue

The Consumers' Association did not request that the safety of vitamin B6 be reviewed by the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT). It expressed concerns about the safety of high dose vitamins and mineral supplements and in this context drew attention to the availability of supplements containing high doses of vitamin B6. The decision to ask the COT to review the safety of vitamin B6 was taken by the Government of the day in the light of the concerns expressed.

The Consumers' Association did not declare any interests in, or the receipt of any funding from, the pharmaceutical industry or any associated trusts when expressing its concerns about the safety of high dose vitamins and mineral supplements.