§ Mr. StottTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will instruct the Office of Fair Trading to investigate misleading advertising of unlicensed herbal medicines. [38663]
§ Mr. SackvilleThe Medicines Control Agency regulates the advertising of medicinal products, both licensed and unlicensed. The Medicines (Advertising) Regulations 1994 prohibit the advertising of a relevant medicinal product in respect of which no product licence is in force. The Department has sufficient powers in existing legislation to monitor the advertising of medicinal products, whether licensed or not.
The Office of Fair Trading is empowered to undertake investigations into complaints against specific advertisements rather than particular sectors of advertising activity.