"Evidence Check: Homeopathy" in UK parliament

[Mojo]

http://www.parliament.uk/parliamenta...n05_091020.cfm

The new Science and Technology Committee has been asked by the government to consider the evidence for homoeopathy, and is asking for "short submissions":

In preparation for the establishment of the Science and Technology Committee on 1 October, the former IUSS Committee commissioned work to assess the Government's use of evidence in policy-making. The Committee wrote to the Government on a number of topics and asked two questions: (1) What is the policy? (2) On what evidence is the policy based? The Government has now replied and having considered the responses the Committee has selected Homeopathy for its second Evidence Check. (The Government's response will be made available soon.)

The Committee invites short submissions by Friday 6 November on the following issues:

- Government policy on licensing of homeopathic products

- Government policy on the funding of homeopathy through the NHS

- the evidence base on homeopathic products and services.

Contact details and guidelines for submissions are available via the link.

[Blue Wode]

Heads up:

Homeopathy session on BBC Parliament tomorrow 9.30am or watch online at http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Pl...meetingId=5221

Thatcher Room
Meeting starts on Wednesday 25 November at 9.30am

Evidence Check: Homeopathy
Witnesses

1. Professor Jayne Lawrence, Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, Robert Wilson, British Association of Homeopathic Manufacturers, Paul Bennett, Boots, Tracey Brown, Sense About Science, and Dr Ben Goldacre, The Guardian
2. Dr Peter Fisher, Royal London Homeopathic Hospital, Professor Edzard Ernst, Complementary Medicine Group, Peninsula Medical School, Dr James Thallon, NHS West Kent, and Dr Robert Mathie, British Homeopathic Association

[Blue Wode]

Bump. 10 minutes to go.

[Blue Wode]

Live commentary from the Guardian: Homeopathy: MPs on science and technology committee grill experts...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/bl...logy-committee

Streamed here: http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Pl...meetingId=5221

The participants:

9.30am
Professor Jayne Lawrence, chief scientific adviser, Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
Robert Wilson, chairman of the British Association of Homeopathic
Manufacturers, and Nelsons, a homeopathy company
Paul Bennett, professional standards director, Boots the chemist
Tracey Brown, managing director, Sense About Science
Dr Ben Goldacre, journalist, The Guardian

10.30am
Dr Peter Fisher, director of research, Royal London Homeopathic Hospital
Professor Edzard Ernst, director, Complementary Medicine Group, Peninsula Medical School
Dr James Thallon, medical director, NHS West Kent
Dr Robert Mathie, research development adviser, British Homeopathic
Association

There will be a transcript available of the proceedings by the end of the week.

[Blue Wode]

So, in a nutshell...

11.22am: And there we have it.
Boots sells homeopathy despite having no evidence that it works, the homeopaths want more research and think Nobel prizes await because it overturns accepted science, and the scientists themselves think there's no evidence of it working whatsoever. A £1.5bn industry none the less. Extraordinary.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/bl...logy-committee

[John Jackson]

There will be a transcript available of the proceedings by the end of the week.

I missed the programme but I look forward to reading the transcript.

[Blue Wode]

For anyone who missed it, the session can still be viewed here (1hr 51mins):
http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Pl...meetingId=5221

NB. Next session:

Monday 30 November 2009
4.15pm:

Mike O'Brien QC MP, Minister for Health Services, Department of Health;
Professor David Harper, Director General, Health Improvement and Protection, and Chief Scientist, Department of Health;
Professor Kent Woods, Chief Executive, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency

See foot of page here:
http://www.parliament.uk/parliamenta...hy_inquiry.cfm

[Mojo]

I missed the programme but I look forward to reading the transcript.

Uncorrected transcript of Wednesday's session.