Prince Charles 'backed homeopathy in secret talks with ministers'



Prince Charles is said to be in support of using homeopathy on the NHS



Prince Charles last night stood accused of secretly lobbying ministers in support of using discredited homeopathic medicines on the NHS.

The Department of Health has admitted for the first time that homeopathy has been discussed at private meetings between ministers and the prince, a strong supporter of alternative therapies.

The NHS spends millions of pounds each year on the complementary medicine --at a time when it is restricting proven lifesaving drugs for those with cancer.

Last year Prince Charles was accused of meddling in Government policy after it emerged he had written to eight Whitehall departments in three years.

Now an MP has accused him of overstepping his constitutional role by having 'secret' meetings with ministers on what is a deeply political issue.

It comes as the Commons science and technology committee is today expected to call on the NHS to stop funding homeopathic medicines because of a lack of evidence that they are effective.

Experts say there is no way known to science that the medicines - which claim to treat and prevent disease by using greatly diluted forms of herbs and minerals - could possibly work beyond being a placebo.

But a letter posted on the House of Commons website indicates the Prince of Wales is still exerting influence on the issue.



Health minister Mike O'Brien wrote to the committee, saying homeopathy was likely to have been discussed at the prince's meetings - the most recent of which was with Health Secretary Andy Burnham on October 29.

He wrote: 'These are private meetings, have no fixed agenda and cover a wide range of topics of interest to both parties, which may sometimes include homeopathy.'



Dr Evan Harris, a LibDem member of the committee, said the letter would have ruled out homeopathy if it had not been discussed, as it was in response to a question from the committee about the Royal Family's influence on the subject.

He added: 'It is bad enough that the heir to the throne (who cannot be criticised or even mentioned in Parliament by the rules of the House) should seek to influence policy, but it is made worse by the fact that he does so secretly, that he has access to the Health Secretary that any health professional - with a lifetime's expertise to offer - could never have, and that he does so on matters of political controversy currently before the House.'

A Clarence House spokesman said the prince's meetings with ministers were 'perfectly normal in his role as heir to the throne'.

She said he used the last meeting to 'raise issues of concern to him' - but would not say what was discussed.