§ Mr. McAllionasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the review of homoeopathic medicines, scheduled for 1990, will take full account of the unsuitability of clinical trials as the paramount indicators of safety and efficacy to homoeopathic and herbal medicines.
§ Mrs. CurrieFormal clinical trials for herbal medicines are required only when claims are made for the treatment of serious diseases. This policy was published in a Medicines Act Information letter of November 1985. The relevant advice of the Medicines Commission and of the Committee on Review of Medicines is given in their 1985 annual reports, copies of which are in the Library. Of the two, only herbal medicines are subject to the European Community requirement of review by 1990.