Dietary Supplements (Hansard, 25 March 1996)

§ Mr. Hain
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consideration is being given by the Codex462W Alimentarius Committee to the availability of and trade in dietary supplements; what is the role and purpose of that committee; through what mechanism the United Kingdom contributes to the committee; through what procedures it reaches conclusions; upon whom and with what authority those decisions are binding; and if he will make a statement. [22045]

§ Mrs. Browning
The purpose of the Codex Alimentarius isto guide and promote the elaboration and establishment of definitions and requirements for foods, to assist in their harmonisation and, in doing so, facilitate international trade".
The discussions bring together scientist, technical experts, government regulators, consumer organisations and industry representatives in order to develop Codex guidelines and standards by consensus. The UK is a member of the committee and participates fully. The Codex Alimentarius Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses is at a preliminary stage in developing a Codex guideline on dietary supplements. The committee develops guidelines by consensus, and the Codex guidelines are advisory instruments only.

§ Mr. Hain
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when his Department received copies of the minutes of the meetings of the Codex Alimentarius Committee at which dietary supplements have been considered; and if he will make such minutes available(a) in the Library and (b) to the Society for the Promotion of Nutritional Therapy. [22046]

§ Mrs. Browning
The final report of the last meeting of the Codex Alimentarius Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses, which considered dietary supplements, was received by my Department on 12 June 1995. Interested parties were informed about this and the report is available to them on request. I have arranged for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.

§ Mr. Hain
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects the Codex Alimentarius Committee to meet next; if dietary supplements will be discussed at that meeting; and if he will make a statement setting out the timetable for future meetings of and decisions by that committee in relation to dietary supplements. [22047]

§ Mrs. Browning
The Codex Alimentarius Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses will next meet from 7 to 11 October 1996. Dietary supplements will be on the agenda of the meeting. The timetable for future meetings and decisions by this committee is a matter for the committee to decide.

§ Mr. Hain
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evaluation he has made of the proposals submitted by Germany to the Codex Alimentarius Committee in relation to dietary supplements; and what response he has made to those proposals. [22048]

§ Mrs. Browning
A paper was tabled by Germany at the Codex Alimentarius Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses from 27 to 31 March 1995. The United Kingdom delegation made a preliminary evaluation of the paper prior to the meeting in consultation with both industry and consumer representatives, and at the meeting expressed the view that Codex guidelines were not necessary.
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§ Mr. Hain
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to promote at meetings of the Codex Alimentarius Committee and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade the continued availability to consumers of vitamin, mineral and other dietary supplements. [22049]

§ Mrs. Browning
Yes.

§ Mr. Hain
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has received from(a) the Codex Alimentarius Committee and (b) other bodies associated with GATT to restrict (i) the potency, (ii) the availability and (iii) the trade in vitamin, mineral and other dietary supplements for (1) prophylactic and (2) other use; and if he will make a statement. [22050]

§ Mrs. Browning
The paper tabled by Germany at the Codex Alimentarius Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses from 27 to 31 March 1995, which contained these points, was not a formal proposal, but an early draft for a revised draft guideline for dietary supplements.
No proposals concerning dietary supplements have been received from any of the other international standards-setting bodies referred to in the GATT agreement on sanitary and phytosanitary measures.

§ Mr. Hain
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the competence of GATT structures for addressing(a) the potency, (b) the availability and (c) the trade in vitamin, mineral and other dietary supplements for (i) prophylactic and (ii) other use; and if he will make a statement. [22051]

§ Mrs. Browning
The rules of the World Trade Organisation—the successor body to GATT—would be relevant to the availability or use of dietary supplements only if situation arose in which one WTO member country restricted imports of such substances and another wished to challenge that restriction. Such a situation would be likely to arise only if there were any evidence that dietary supplements posed a danger to human health.