HL Deb 18 December 1997 vol 584 cc103-4WA
The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What assessment they have made of the numbers of individuals who regularly take more than 49 milligrams daily of Vitamin B6 supplements; and what would be the resource implications for the National Health Service if a significant percentage of that group in future sought their supplements from general medical practitioners.

Baroness Jay of Paddington

It is impossible to estimate the number of people who regularly take any dose of Vitamin B6 since it is sold over the counter. Therefore, it is not possible to assess the resource implication for the National Health Service if the number of people seeking higher doses of Vitamin B6 were to consult their general medical practitioner.

The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many deaths were recorded in England and Wales:

  1. (a) as a sole result of excessive Vitamin B6 supplementation;
  2. (b) tobacco related illness; and
  3. (c) alcohol related illness
in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and why, in the light of those figures, the proposed restrictions on the retail sale of Vitamin B6 are more stringent than those relating to tobacco and alcohol.

Baroness Jay of Paddington

There is no information available on deaths recorded in England and Wales solely attributable to taking Vitamin B6 supplements. There is no universally acceptable figure available on the number of alcohol-related deaths because of the difficulty in defining the term alcohol-related.

However, the Health Education Authority made estimates in 1988 and 1995 that in the United Kingdom at least 110,000 and 120,000 people died, respectively, as a result of their smoking. No estimates are available for 1987, 1989 to 1994, 1996 or 1997.

Since there are no figures available for either deaths related to the excessive intake of Vitamin B6 or alcohol-related deaths, it is not possible to make any comparisons.

The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

  1. What amount of water would be available:
  2. (a) on general retail sale;
  3. (b) on pharmacy restricted sale; and
  4. (c) on prescription only from a registered medical practitioner,
if a division of the upper safe level above which harmful effects have been noted was made by the same factor as that which was applied by the Committee on Toxicity in establishing the proposed limits for the availability of Vitamin B6 supplements.

Baroness Jay of Paddington

The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment has not had occasion to identify the lowest dose of water at which clinical symptoms of toxicity would occur in humans. Therefore it is not possible to make calculations equivalent to those used in its consideration of Vitamin B6.