HC Deb 13 April 1999 vol 329 cc109-10W
Mr. Todd

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will announce the outcome of the consultation on MLX249; and if he will make a statement. [79079]

Ms Jowell

We are currently considering the responses received to the consultation and will make an announcement in due course.

Mr. Hayes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many representations(a) he and (b) the Medicines Control Agency have received in response to the Agency's consultation document MLX249; how many and what percentage of those representations opposed the proposals; and if he will make a statement.[80632]

Ms Jowell

Records held do not distinguish between representations received by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and the Medicines Control Agency. We have received 700 letters from Members of Parliament and 740 representations from other interested bodies and individuals. In addition, a recent campaign encouraging the public to write to my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Health has generated in excess of 2,000 letters. Three representations broadly support the proposals. The remainder are critical of the proposals to some degree.

Mr. Hayes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to review medicines licensing legislation to give greater protection to the continued availability of vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements and blends thereof; and what discussions he has had with the European Commission. [80634]

Ms Jowell

For the Government's position on regulatory arrangements which apply to herbal medicines I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Bosworth (Mr. Tredinnick) on 26 March 1999,Official Report, columns 426–27. We have no additional plans at present to review the application of medicines legislation with respect to the licensing of vitamins, mineral and herbal supplements and blends thereof, and we have had no discussions with the European Commission on this issue.

Mr. Hayes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department has received a copy of the report commissioned by the European Commission on the market in herbal remedies; what discussions he has had with the European Commission on EU legislation in this area; and if he will make a statement. [80635]

Ms Jowell

I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave to the hon. Member for Bosworth (Mr. Tredinnick) on 26 March 1999,Official Report, columns 426–27. The Medicines Control Agency's discussions to date with the European Commission strengthen our preliminary view that the Commission's recent proposals to amend the Annex to Directive 75/318 European Economic Community would have a relatively limited impact in relation to herbal remedies in the United Kingdom.