HC Deb 24 July 2002 vol 389 cc1440-1W
Alan Simpson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response the United Kingdom has made to the EU proposals to bring food supplements under the Medicines Directive. [57959]

Mr. Lammy

The European Commission published proposals for wide ranging amendments to the regulatory regime for human and veterinary medicines in December 2001. The proposed changes include a new definition of a medicinal product.

The Government recognises the need to ensure that the definition of a medicine is drafted in such a way that will allow new therapies to be appropriately regulated. However, the United Kingdom's view is that the extension of the scope of the medicines legislation, particularly when linked to the new definition, is unwarranted and unacceptable as it would capture many products, including certain food supplements, that are already covered by other sectoral legislation. The Government sees no justification for this proposal and will continue to resist it. This position is shared by most other Member States.