Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to delay publication of their response to the Herbal Medicines and Practitioners Working Group until they have met representatives of the herbal profession to discuss the outcome of that report.

The Government does not intend to delay publication of its response. The Report on the Regulation of Herbal Medicines and Practitioners is Professor Walker’s independent advice to Government. Prominent members of the herbals sector were members of the Herbal Medicines and Practitioners Working Group and, as the Report acknowledges, this advice was informed by the input of this Group.