Copyright: (C) BHA 15
Two people have been arrested on suspicion of encouraging or assisting the suicide of a 76-year-old disabled man who travelled to Switzerland to die about 5 weeks ago.

At present, compassionately assisting a terminally ill or incurably suffering person to die is illegal in the UK, and this includes friends and relatives accompanying that person to a jurisdiction such as Switzerland where assisted dying is legal.

Naomi Phillips, BHA Head of Public Affairs, said, ‘We all of us have a fundamental human right to die with dignity, in a manner of our choosing, and those who are motivated by compassion to assist another’s death should be protected from prosecution. It is deeply saddening that that people face the threat of arrest and prosecution,which can presently result in a 14 year custodial sentence, should they accompany loved ones abroad for an assisted death.

‘We need a law on assisted dying that is sensible, ethical and forward-thinking. However, any real and secure change to remove the threat of prosecution must come from parliament, and it is deeply disappointing that so far our elected representatives, and peers, have largely failed to listen to the public who overwhelmingly support reform in the law on assisted dying.’
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According to a report in the Financial Times, the Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove had planned to restrict the number of religious groups taking part in the ‘free schools’ programme, for fear that ‘free schools would be synonymous with faith schools’. However, the number of proposals from non-religious groups is below that predicted by Mr Gove and he is now considering lifting these restrictions in order to bolster the numbers taking part.

The revelation comes as religious groups continue to exert pressure on Mr Gove to overturn the ’50 per cent rule’ which would mean that religious ‘free schools’ could only select half of their pupils on the basis of parents’ perceived beliefs. The Board of Deputies of British Jews began a lobbying campaign last month to have the 50 per cent rule changed. Jon Benjamin, chief executive of the Board, said the rule would mean Jewish ‘free schools’ would have to provide ‘200 school places to find room for 100 Jewish kids’.

BHA Chief Executive Andrew Copson said:

‘The BHA has continually pointed out that the ‘free schools’ programme would be particularly attractive to religious groups. It will give them complete power over the curriculum while unburdening them from the need to raise their own funds. It is no surprise that they dominate the list of proposals received so far - very few parents have the time, resources or local influence to set up a new school, but religious groups often have all of these.’

‘Mr Gove clearly recognises that there is widespread public opposition to a wave of unregulated new ‘faith’ schools. Through the BHA’s own polling we know that the majority of the public are concerned that the ‘free schools’ programme will lead to public money being spent on promoting religious beliefs. We would urge him to respond to this concern by introducing robust safeguards, such as legislative change and statutory guidance, to prevent religious discrimination and extremism in state-funded schools.’

Commenting on the 50 per cent rule, Mr Copson said:

‘While the 50 per cent rule for ‘free schools’ doesn’t go nearly far enough, it is at least an indication that Mr Gove believes religious discrimination should be curbed. By contrast, the recent lobbying campaign by religious groups demonstrates that many will always support segregation over inclusion. Mr Gove should cease trying to appease the religious lobby and instead use his powers to introduce open and inclusive admissions policies for all schools.’
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Andrew was a committed humanist, a distinguished supporter of the British Humanist Association, and a dedicated and active member of the All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group. In June 2010, Lord McIntosh was re-elected as Treasurer at the Annual General Meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group (APPHG), the cross party grouping of over 100 MPs and Peers with an interest in Humanism, and humanist issues, to which the BHA provides the secretariat.

Andrew Copson, BHA Chief Executive, said, ‘Andrew was well respected for his commitment to equality, rationalism and Humanism. He was the Minister responsible for the inclusion of Humanism as a ‘belief’ in the Communications Act 2003, since when public service broadcasters have been obliged by law to include coverage of Humanism.’

‘Andrew was particularly interested in education, being actively involved over many years in British education legislation and, as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, he supported a motion condemning the teaching of creationism in schools as a part of science. Andrew, with his passion for promoting humanist perspectives on issues such as education and his support for the All Party Humanist Group in Parliament will be sorely missed.’
]]> The Unlocking the Gates report found that ‘faith’ schools ‘seemed to take disproportionately fewer pupils entitled to free school meals, compared to their local population’ and that complex questions related to religious observance could ‘put off parents who lack confidence in writing, particularly the 16 per cent of adults in the UK who are estimated to lack functional literacy.’
The report confirms the findings of previous research by bodies such as the Runnymede Trust and the Institute of Education, which has found that many ‘faith’ schools’ operate ‘covert’ selection in their admissions procedures.
BHA ‘Faith’ schools campaigns officer James Gray commented, ‘This research is the latest in a long line of reports to conclude that the discriminatory admissions policies of ‘faith’ schools lead to socio-economic segregation. The evidence is now overwhelming that ‘faith’ schools are excluding children from poorer backgrounds.’
‘The reality is that ‘faith’ school are divisive, discriminatory and – despite the claims of religious lobbyists – deeply unpopular with the public. There is no excuse for turning away a child simply because his or her parents have the ‘wrong’ beliefs.’
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Professor Dawkins has emailed all supporters of the BHA to urge them to support the organisation’s ‘Faith Schools: Just Say No’ appeal.

The major new fundraising drive has the aim of ensuring the BHA can continue to employ a dedicated ‘faith’ schools campaigner for another twelve months, while supporting their work with new publications, research and events examining the key issues in the ‘faith’ schools debate.

Professor Dawkins, a Vice President of the BHA, told supporters:

‘The British Humanist Association has for many years challenged the spread of these divisive and discriminatory schools. For the past three years they have employed the UK's only dedicated campaigner against faith schools.’

‘The BHA campaigner makes sure that the voices of all those who oppose faith schools are heard – by supporting local campaigns against new religious schools, representing the secularist view in the media, and lobbying government to reform the laws that entrench religious discrimination in our education system.’

‘With the recent introduction of religious free schools, the power and influence of religious groups in our schools system will increase significantly in the next few years. That's another reason why it's so important that the BHA's campaign against state-funded faith schools should continue to grow louder and stronger.’

Professor Dawkins told supporters that the experience of making his ‘Faith School Menace?’ documentary had strengthened his resolve against religious schools:

‘Some faith schools, as I discovered while making my recent television documentary, use their state-subsidised freedoms to undermine the teaching of science. It should be unthinkable in the 21st century to have a state-funded school whose science teachers believe the world is less than 10,000 years old, yet that is what I found.’

BHA Chief Executive Andrew Copson commented:

'We are delighted that Richard Dawkins has backed our appeal to ensure we have a staff member working full-time on this important campaign for another year. We hope Richard’s message will act as an incentive for all those concerned about the power and influence of religious groups in our schools to support our work. We must act now to ensure a fairer, more inclusive education for our children in the future.’

‘Throughout the BHA’s many years of campaigning on this issue, parents, teachers and pupils themselves have consistently opposed ‘faith’ schools. The reasons are clear – they are divisive, discriminatory and unable to fully recognise the rights of their pupils. Unfortunately, with the coalition government’s massive deregulation of education, the situation is only going to get worse.’]]>
The BHA has used the review to highlight the BBC’s continued failure to cover a full range of beliefs and their refusal to commission programming that raises issues from a specifically non-religious perspective. The response focuses on BBC Radio 4’s obligation to broadcast 200 hours of religious programming per year and the fact that the Thought for the Day slot continues to give only a religious perspective on moral and ethical issues.

Pepper Harow, BHA Campaigns Officer, said, ‘The BBC continues to fail those in society that live their lives on the basis of non-religious beliefs. Despite Humanism being a belief system recognised in broadcasting law, there has been no programming that seeks to explore such beliefs. In contrast, hours of religious programming is broadcast every year despite studies showing that religion is becoming less and less important to people.

‘Thought for the Day in particular provides an unchallenged platform reserved explicitly for religious individuals during the peak listening period of the BBC’s most influential news and discussion programmes. To suggest that humanists are unable to provide an ethical perspective on current affairs is at best misguided and at worst insulting. It is time for the BBC to listen to its non-religious service users and open up their broadcasting to cover a wider range of beliefs.’ ]]>
Sciences at Queen Mary University concludes that greater acknowledgement of the relationship between doctors’ values and clinical decision making would improve patient care. The General Medical Council says that, while doctors should start from the assumption that life should be prolonged, this should not be at any cost. However, the study observed that religious doctors were less likely to take measures to relieve pain or distress if this may have the effect of shortening life.

Pepper Harow, BHA Campaigns Officer stated, ‘The news that religious doctors may be putting the welfare of their patients as a secondary consideration to their own religious beliefs will be alarming to many. Decisions on end of life care should be fully discussed with patients and their families so that people can make informed choices about the way their life comes to an end.

‘If the practice of deep sedation, which may hasten death in some cases, is in the best interests of a patient who is in pain or distress, and the wishes of the patient or their family have been taken into account, the religious beliefs of the doctor should be immaterial. Patient care must come first. If religious doctors are not using such measures, despite guidance from the British Medical Association, this is not in the best interest of patients.’]]> Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL

As the papal visit to the UK approaches, a public debate will be held next week between those who support the Pope’s visit and those who oppose it. It promises to be a controversial start to the run up to the Pope’s arrival on 16 September.
Human rights activist Peter Tatchell and philosopher AC Grayling will line up against Catholic journalist Austen Ivereigh and Fr. Christopher Jamison to debate the question “The Papal Visit should not be a State Visit”. Polly Toynbee the renowned Guardian columnist will be chairing what promises to be a lively debate.

Alan Palmer, Chair of the Central London Humanists said, ‘We know that many people are angry that the State Visit of Pope Benedict XVI is going to cost the UK taxpayer a lot of money. Some wonder whether in the current economic circumstances we should be spending millions of pounds to provide a state platform for a religious leader who has already criticised our legislation and condemned the way we organise our society.

‘Our criticism of this State visit is not an attack on Catholics or on the rights of people to follow their religion. We want to give people the opportunity to debate the issue. Clearly many of our supporters are very unhappy with some of the statements made by the Pope in the name of the Catholic Church and Vatican State. This adds to the dismay many feel at our government honouring a Pope whose pronouncements fly in the face of the human rights that we support. Of course there is also considerable disquiet about the way the Church and this Pope have handled the question of child abuse.

‘Central London Humanists champion the idea of an open society and freedom of speech. We genuinely want to hear the arguments in favour of the State visit. We welcome everyone whatever their political conviction or their religion or belief to explore the issues and participate in the debate.’
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Professor Tanner died on the 11 August this year aged 90, and his humanist funeral was conducted by BHA celebrant Alison Orchard on 23 August. In a eulogy written and read by Professor Noel Cameron from Loughborough University at his funeral, Professor Tanner was described as ‘An intelligent, well read and thoughtful man, scientific and global in outlook.

‘He had faith in life before death and believed in human endeavour, and, particularly through his unstinting work as an expert human auxologist of world renown, Professor Tanner left humanity better than he found it; there are many people, not here, whose lives have more quality because Jim lived.'

Of his work at the Institute of Child Health, Professor Cameron said, ‘The Department of Growth and Development was by the early 1970s, a centre for research in human growth that was unequalled in the world. Whilst there were other centres and institutes in both Europe and America that focussed on human growth, none had the breadth and depth of research that was occurring within that department. ... The department had resulted from Jim’s decision to make the study of human growth and development the central research theme of his academic life.’

‘I’m sure our clinical colleagues would agree that the he also made fundamental contributions to the clinical assessment and diagnosis of growth disorders, he pioneered the treatment of children with growth hormone deficiency, and the growth disorder clinics formed an educational centre for clinicians from throughout the world in which to study the diagnosis and treatment of growth disorders.’

‘Gently charismatic in nature, Jim was an academic and teacher with a huge international following.’

‘With the news of Jim’s death messages of sorrow and condolences started to arrive in my computer in-box. One came from a current PhD student who said that it may be corny but it was also true that a little of Jim Tanner continues to live in all of those who study human growth and development. I thought that to be an appropriate accolade for a scientist and teacher that his (or her) work continues to inform generation after generation of students and is thus a living memorial to a life well spent.'

Notes

Humanist Ceremonies is the BHA’s network of trained and accredited celebrants in England and Wales. Humanist funerals are widely regarded as unique, personal and often celebratory events, focusing on the life of the person who has died, rather than on doctrines which may not be shared by family and friends at the service.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) is the national charity representing and supporting the growing population of ethically concerned, non-religious. It is the largest organisation in the UK campaigning for a secular state and an end to discrimination based on religion or belief.]]>


The response also cites the “widely accepted fact that the majority....of the adult population of the UK regard themselves as Christians” and repeats a call for the BBC to appoint a Religion Editor.



Pepper Harow, BHA Campaigns Officer, stated, ‘That the Church of England has praised the BBC for its religious output is no surprise. There are hours of religious programming every year yet there has never been any programming dedicated specifically for non-religious people- an issue which was noted by the Church of England in their response. We refute the idea that most people want to listen to religious programmes and several studies have shown that interest in religion is waning.



‘The BHA will also be responding to this review and have encouraged our supporters to do the same. We will not be calling for a Religion Editor which would be an expensive and pointless addition to the already well-resourced Religion and Ethics Team at the BBC. Instead we will be asking the BBC to live up to their legal responsibility to treat non-religious beliefs such as Humanism equally, including in the Radio 4 ethics slot, Thought for the Day.’]]>
‘Faith School Menace?’, presented by BHA distinguished supporter Professor Richard Dawkins, features interviews with religious lobbyists, parents, pupils and experts including BHA chief executive Andrew Copson.

In the film Professor Dawkins discovers that RE lessons in some ‘faith’ schools present creationism as scientific fact, directly contradicting the evolution components of the national curriculum. In a particularly shocking scene, he finds that all 60 Year 10 science students at a Muslim secondary school reject the theory of evolution in favour of the Qur’an's story of Creation. The episode leads Professor Dawkins to call for RE to fall under the National Curriculum and for RE teaching in ‘faith’ schools to be inspected by Ofsted, a policy the BHA has advocated for many years.

The programme also presents the findings of an exclusive ICM poll, in which 59 per cent of the public said they were opposed to any form of state funding for ‘faith schools’.

The screening of the documentary comes as the BHA launches a major new fundraising campaign to support its work against state-funded ‘faith schools’.

BHA chief executive Andrew Copson said:

‘The programme confirms what the BHA has known for many years – that ‘faith’ schools can cause religious and socio-economic segregation and lead to thousands of pupils being denied a broad, balanced and inclusive education. What’s more, as this new poll demonstrates, they are opposed by a clear majority of the public.’

‘Throughout the BHA’s many years of campaigning on this issue, parents, teachers and pupils themselves have consistently opposed ‘faith’ schools. The reasons are clear – they are divisive, discriminatory and unable to fully recognise the rights of their pupils. Unfortunately, with the coalition government’s massive deregulation of education, the situation is only going to get worse.’

Speaking on the teaching of creationism in English ‘faith’ schools, Mr Copson commented:

‘The programme highlights why we urgently need a tightening up of the legal requirements to prevent creation stories being taught as anything other than religious beliefs. If, as this film seems to suggest, creationism is already being taught as fact in conventional ‘faith’ schools then how does the government propose to keep it out of religious ‘free’ schools, which will not have to follow the National Curriculum and are outside local authority control?’

Explaining the BHA’s call for a parliamentary inquiry, Mr Copson continued:

‘We are calling on the newly-formed education select committee to conduct a full inquiry into ‘faith’ schools, looking particularly at their impact on community cohesion, their effect on pupils’ rights, their effect on a balanced curriculum of objective teaching about religious and non-religious beliefs, and the extent to which science teaching may be undermined. Now is the time for politicians to take a critical look at the role of ‘faith’ schools and ask if they really are serving the best interests of children and the wider community.’

Describing the BHA’s new ‘faith schools’ fundraising campaign, Mr Copson said:

‘The documentary comes at an opportune time for the BHA as this week we launch a major new fundraising drive to ensure we can continue to employ our dedicated ‘faith’ schools campaigner for another year. We hope the documentary will act as an incentive for all those concerned about the power and influence of religious groups in our schools to support our work. We must act now to ensure a fairer, more inclusive education for our children in the future.’
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Leeds based Catholic Care originally appealed to the Charity Commission in 2007 as a result of regulations that prevent discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, and successfully challenged the Charity Commission’s original refusal in the High Court. In March 2010, the presiding Judge, Mr Justice Briggs, instructed the Commission to reconsider the request, which has again been refused today.
BHA Campaigns Officer Pepper Harow said ‘We strongly welcome the Charity Commission’s clear response that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is unacceptable. The full decision released by the Commission is clear that Catholic Care has not provided convincing reasons to justify this form of discrimination.’

She continued ‘If they wish to operate as a charity offering a public service, they will have to abide by the same laws as every other organisation. To allow them to do otherwise because of religious dogma and prejudices would be a failure to serve the children who need loving homes as well as lesbian, gay and bisexual people.’]]>
‘Faith School Menace?’, presented by BHA distinguished supporter Professor Richard Dawkins, is a passionately argued film which calls on us to reconsider the consequences of ‘faith’ schools.

The film features interviews with child psychologists, politicians and key players in the ‘faith’ schools debate as well as insights from both parents and pupils. Professor Dawkins also draws on his own personal history as a father, arguing that the government must stop funding new ‘faith’ schools, and urging society to respect a child's right to freedom of belief.

The screening of the documentary comes as the BHA launches a major new fundraising campaign to support its work against state-funded ‘faith schools’.
Andrew Copson said:

‘Throughout the BHA’s many years of campaigning on this issue, parents, teachers and pupils themselves have consistently opposed ‘faith’ schools. The reasons are clear – they are divisive, discriminatory and unable to fully recognise the rights of their pupils. Unfortunately, with the coalition government’s massive deregulation of education, the situation is only going to get worse.’

‘The documentary comes at an opportune time for the BHA as this week we launch a major new fundraising drive to ensure we can continue to employ our dedicated ‘faith’ schools campaigner for another year. We hope the documentary will act as an incentive for all those concerned about the power and influence of religious groups in our schools to support our work. We must act now to ensure a fairer, more inclusive education for our children in the future.’
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The meeting room was packed out with over seventy local people wishing to discuss the issues raised by Protest the Pope; including the Pope’s opinions on condom use, abortion, gay rights and education. The meeting included speeches from human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, NSS President Terry Sanderson, European Humanist Federation President and British Humanist Association Trustee David Pollock and NSS Executive Director, Keith Porteous Wood.

The meeting was organised by Richmond LGBT Forum with a view to forming a local coalition of groups wishing to protest when the Pope visits Twickenham on 17th September this year to address local school children.

Peter Tatchell said, ‘Pope Benedict comes to Britain next month. As democrats, we believe he has every right to come here and express his opinions. But we also have a right to protest against his often harsh, extreme views. We have a right to say that he is not welcome here.

‘The Protest the Pope campaign is calling on the British government to disassociate itself from the Pope’s intolerant teachings on issues such as women’s rights, gay equality and the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV. On these and many other issues, Benedict is out of step with the majority of British people, including most Catholics.’
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The tribunal found that Duke Amachree, whose case was supported by the Christian Legal Centre, a Christian lobby group, was ‘fairly dismissed’ from his job as a Homelessness Prevention Officer with Wandsworth Borough Council. The council dismissed him following a complaint from a service user who was distressed when, after she revealed that she had an incurable disease, Mr Amachree used the opportunity to evangelise for his religion in the course of his job and encouraged her to ‘put her faith in god’.

Andrew Copson, BHA Chief Executive, welcomed the judgment, saying, ‘When we take on jobs of service to others, we need to understand that our own prejudices and preferences come second to the needs of those we are employed to help and serve. The law has very properly upheld that principle today.’

He went on, to express the BHA’s concern about the growing prominence of cases such as Mr Amachree’s: ‘The growing trend for political Christian groups to bring nuisance cases of alleged discrimination is highly alarming. Even when the courts find – as they invariably have – no evidence of discrimination, these lobby groups, instead of accepting this, go on to claim instead that the whole system of law discriminates against them and that the whole of the law should shift to accommodate their prejudices. Theocratic arguments like this, advanced in the name of equality for Christians, need to be exposed for what they are.’
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Fighting superstition, supporting people accused of witchcraft, providing inclusive schools for secular education, representing humanist values and promoting secularism in international political forums, including at the UN in New York and Geneva, the Council of Europe in Strasbourg and UNESCO in Paris, were just some of the activities undertaken by IHEU in the past year and reported on at the IHEU General Assembly.

Speaking about his appointment to the Executive Committee, Andrew Copson said, ‘The BHA was involved right at the beginning of IHEU and in recent years BHA supporters have been particularly generous with their time and money in supporting the development of pioneering schools in Uganda that promote freethinking, protect students against religious or other indoctrination and offer hundreds of children a liberal education. I look forward to maintaining and strengthening the BHA’s contribution to international Humanism during my own time as a Vice President.’
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The response is riddled with references to religion and religious people; particularly Christianity. For example, the Foreign Affairs section speaks of instances where Christians are persecuted, with very little reference to those who are persecuted for other beliefs. The Equalities section speaks of “perceived restrictions to Christians expressing their beliefs” and the Communities and Local Government section speaks of “Christians and followers of other religions.” There appears to be no recognition by government of the contribution of people of no religion and a questionable focus on the interests of religious lobby groups.

BHA Campaigns Officer, Pepper Harow, stated, ‘It is very surprising in the context of our diverse society that the government has chosen to focus on Christianity in this important response. With falling church attendance and survey after survey showing that religion is not important in people’s lives, it is difficult to see why the response should be directed in this way.

‘We will be meeting with Ministers and working with government departments in the coming months to make sure that the millions of non-religious people in the UK are not sidelined in government policy. We have already been successful in opening the debate with government on issues such as faith schools and will continue to raise these issues at all levels. We want the government to listen to people of all backgrounds and not bow to the pressure of well funded, unrepresentative religious lobby groups.’
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An open meeting has been organised in Richmond on 12th August where speakers from Protest the Pope will outline the reasons for protesting against honouring Joseph Ratzinger with a state visit. After the meeting, local people will have the chance to discuss plans for a protest in September with representatives of local groups who have joined the coalition.

Andrew Copson of Protest the Pope stated, ‘We were approached by several people and organisations in Richmond who were concerned that the Pope plans to come to their area as part of a state visit in September. Although we agree that the Pope may visit the UK in his capacity as a religious leader, we are concerned that this visit is being given state recognition; something that accords honour and public funding to a questionable state which has a dubious reputation for human rights.

‘The public meeting in Richmond will allow a full discussion of the issues with local people and will allow those who wish to protest against his visit to Twickenham a voice.’
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VA ‘faith schools’ are funded by the local authority and enjoy considerable privileges, including the right to discriminate against all pupils and teaching and non-teaching staff on religious grounds.

The Jewish Chronicle reported that parents who hoped to set up a Jewish ‘free school’ in Barnet were dismayed at the government’s plans to force such schools to take 50 per cent of pupils without reference to religion. The Mill Hill school planning group chair Adam Dawson described the 50 per cent rule as ‘outrageous’ and ‘political tokenism at the expense of a good education for our children.’

Another group, Jewish Primary Education for South Hertfordshire (JPESH), confirmed to the paper that it plans to set up a new VA school rather than a free school as a result of Mr Gove’s comments.

BHA chief executive Andrew Copson said:

‘Mr Gove’s comments confirm that the government is committed to increasing “faith schools” of all kinds, not just Academies. VA schools operate highly-discriminatory admissions and employment policies, shutting out children and teachers who are of the “wrong” or no religion. Quite simply, an increase in the number of VA schools will mean an increase in religious and social segregation.’

‘While the 50 per cent rule for free schools doesn’t go nearly far enough, it is at least an indication that religious discrimination should be curbed. What is the point of having such a quota if religious groups will now be able to set up a new VA school, which can take 100 per cent of pupils on the basis of religion? It is a worrying indication of government policy that more schools are likely to be created which are not inclusive and give more and more power to religious groups.’]]> Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust has confirmed that homeopathic treatments will not be offered as an alternative to conventional therapies as there is a lack of evidence for their effectiveness.

The announcement comes shortly after the government’s response to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee’s highly critical report of homeopathy. The committee’s report found ‘systematic reviews and meta-analyses conclusively demonstrate that homeopathic products perform no better than placebos’. The government response did not recommend that the NHS should cease funding homeopathic treatments but rather deferred the responsibility on whether to permit the use of homeopathic products to local health authorities.

Naomi Philips, BHA Head of Public Affairs, welcomed NHS Oxfordshire’s decision: ‘The NHS Constitution is explicit in the patient’s ‘right to expect local decisions on funding of other drugs and treatments to be made rationally following a proper consideration of the evidence’, and we are glad to see these principles being respected in this instance. All the evidence suggests that homeopathic treatments do not work.’

‘Ultimately, we believe it important that the government should adopt the conclusions of their own Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor John Beddington, who has stated that there is no evidence base for homeopathy or reason for its continued use. In the meantime, it is important local health authorities explicitly state they will not provide homeopathic services.’
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