§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he requested Professor Peter Lachmann to subject to peer review his report into the zinc cadmium sulphide trials which was published in March 2000; and if he will make a statement. [154792]
§ Dr. MoonieThe Ministry of Defence commissioned Professor Peter Lachmann and his colleagues to produce a report of their independent findings for publication. The report was published and a copy placed in the Library of the House on 24 March 2000. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 December 2000,Official Report, column 165W, which referred to the separate matter of the subsequent plan of Professor Lachmann and his colleagues to submit to a scientific journal a scientific paper, based on the report, for peer review and possible publication. This is a matter for Professor Lachmann and his colleagues. Peer review is a normal part of the process of publishing such papers in scientific journals.