MPs criticise science adviser for defending homeopathy policy

MPs have launched a bruising attack on the government's chief scientist for failing to challenge ministers over their policies on homeopathy and cannabis.Professor John Beddington, who replaced Sir David King as chief scientific adviser last January, has defended the government's stance on alternative medicine and drugs classification, despite there being a lack of scientific evidence to support them, MPs said.The government funds homeopathic medicines – which contain no active pharmaceutical ingredients – through four specialist NHS hospitals, and will this month reclassify cannabis as a class B drug, against the recommendation of its own independent panel of drug advisers.In a report published today by the Commons Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee, MPs criticise Professor Beddington for failing to question the government's use of scientific evidence in making the policies."In both the case of cannabis reclassification and homeopathic treatments we are concerned that the government chief scientific adviser has not...

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