Sir – I was pleased to hear that Alan Sugar called for increased regulation of the cosmetic procedures sector on his show ‘The Apprentice’, following his decision to invest in the winning candidate’s proposal to open clinics offering cosmetic procedures, delivered solely by trained doctors and nurses.

I have been working on legislation with colleagues in the European Union to tighten up this sector which was exposed as being seriously under-regulated following the PIP breast implant scandal.

Patients were left in the dark as to what implants they had, what to do about the problem, and who would pick up the bill for any corrective procedures.

More recently, a report conducted by director of the NHS Sir Bruce Keogh suggested that “most dermal fillers have no more controls than a bottle of floor cleaner” and those who decide, for whatever reason, to have cosmetic procedures deserve a greater degree of protection than they are currently receiving.

Sir Alan is right to identify a need for more medical regulation of this sector, and as the PIP scandal proved, starting in France but affecting patients all over Europe, the European Union has to deliver a cross-border package of measures in order to ensure the safety of UK consumers.

Linda McAvan, Labour MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber