HL Deb 10 December 2003 vol 655 c71WA
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

asked Her Majesty's Government: What progress has been made towards the statutory regulation of herbalists. [HL8]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner)

A regulatory working group has recently published recommendations for the statutory regulation of herbal medicine practitioners. The Government welcome the publication of the working group's report and are giving careful consideration to its recommendations. A consultation document on the statutory regulation of both herbal medicine and acupuncture practitioners will be published by the Department of Health early next year. A parallel consultation document on the supply of herbal remedies under Section 12(1) of the Medicines Act 1968 will be published by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.