§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the proposed EU Directive for traditionally used medicinal products; and what representations he has received on the matter. [156689]
§ Ms StuartA letter dated 18 December 2000 from the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) to the European Commission (EC) set out the United Kingdom's comments on the preliminary draft of the directive on traditional medicinal products. The MCA has recently received from the EC a second draft of the directive, due to be discussed at the meeting of the European Pharmaceutical Committee on 5 April. Copies of both documents have been placed in the Library. Representations on the directive have been received mainly during the regular dialogue the MCA holds with representatives of herbal interest groups. These constructive discussions have covered most aspects of the directive, including the possible criteria for assessing traditional use, the position of non European herbal traditions, and aspects of safety, quality and information to the consumer.