Press Articles (John Vincent)

Thank you for your correspondence regarding restrictions of vitamin and mineral supplements.

The Liberal Democrats are concerned about the effect any further legislation in this area may have on small business and, indeed, on consumers health. At the core of this issue, however, is a question of freedom of choice for consumers. We need to ensure that consumers retain control over their choices concerning their own diet and health and that when they make these choices they have as full a picture as possible as to the potential consequences of their actions.

The scope of the Food Supplements Directive provides for maximum dosage limits and controls the types of vitamins and minerals that are approved for supplements. This may decrease the range of products which are available in this growing market, meaning that individuals may not be able to tailor their supplements as specifically to their own preferences.

The Liberal Democrats support moves to regulate supplements where there is significant scientific evidence that they may be harmful to individuals' health. However, I am concerned that the Directive is disproportionate in its potential impact. This is why Liberal Democrats opposed the directive and voted against it in its entirety when it was being debated in the European Parliament in 2002. Lib Dem MEPs were unsuccessful however, due in no small part to the considerable support given to the legislation by health ministers representing the UK Government.

Having supported this directive in Brussels in 2002, the Government now needs to do much more to protect peoples' rights to take these products.

Thank you again for taking the time to write to me about this issue.

Yours sincerely,

John Vincent