FOOD SUPPLEMENTS AND MEDICINAL PRODUCTS

Early day motion 44, tabled 23 November 2004 by Paul Burstow (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 63 members.

That this House notes that the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive and the Medicinal Products for Human Use Directive have recently been passed into European law; believes that these Directives and the Food Supplements Directive together place unnecessary restrictions upon the choice exercised by British consumers of vitamins and minerals; further believes that many restrictions are for the sake of European harmonisation rather than public safety; notes the misgivings of the British food supplements industry over the prohibitive costs of compiling complex dossiers defending their products from bans, which have been estimated by the Government to be between ú80,000 and ú250,000 per product; further notes that the Government must now translate the directives into British law by producing new legislation; and calls upon the Government when framing domestic legislation, to address the concerns of consumers, who continue to use food supplements safely, and of manufacturers, who fear debilitating restrictions placed upon their business.

Signatures by party: Liberal Democrat 28, Labour 22, DUP 3, Labour/Co-operative 3, Conservative 2, Plaid Cymru 2, UUP 2, Scottish National Party 1.