§ Mrs. Joyce Butlerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will consider setting up a committee of experts in toxicology, pharmacology, carcinogenesis testing, and related subjects to advise Her Majesty's Government on matters relating to the safety of chemicals present in food, drugs, cosmetics and medical devices on similar lines to the newly-formed Toxicology Advisory Committee in the United States of America; and if she will make a statement.
§ Dr. OwenSources of advice of the kind my hon. Friends has in mind are already available to Her Majesty's Government. I refer to the Chief Medical Officer's Committee on Medical Aspects of Chemicals in Food and the Environment, which was established in the Department in 1972, together with its Toxicology, Carcinogenicity, Mutagenicity and physical environment sub-committees. These committees of experts advise the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's Food Standards Committee and Food Additives and Contaminants Committee on the safety of all chemicals added to or coming into contact with food and other Government Departments on the safety of cosmetics, toys and other consumer products.
In relation to medicinal products the Committee on Safety of Medicines considers the safety, quality and efficacy of new medicines and we have recently established a committee on the review of medicines to undertake a review of all existing products. We are also establishing a committee on dental and surgical materials to advise my right hon. Friend on certain classes of medical devices.
We are fully satisfied with the arrangements for co-ordination between all the committees that I have referred to.