§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are employed in(a) the retail and (b) the manufacture of specialist health food products; and what assessment he has made of the impact on employment in these sectors of the forthcoming EU Directive on food supplements. [21690]
§ Ruth KellyThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Dr. Liam Fox, dated 12 December 2001:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question on the number of people employed in (a) the retail and (b) the manufacture of specialist health food products (21690).There are no separate figures available for retailing specialist health food products as these estimates are combined with other specialist retailing.In December 1999, the latest date for which estimates from the Annual Business Inquiry are available, there were 900 employee jobs in the manufacture of homogenised food preparations and dietetic food in Great Britain.I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that the proposed EU directive would not have any immediate effect on employment in these sectors as it would not immediately outlaw any products currently sold in the UK.