§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the report in The Times of 30 April 1997 stating that the recipients of a questionnaire distributed by researchers at King's College, London who are investigating Gulf War illness, are being induced to return the questionnaires by the promise of entry into a draw for a £1,000 cash prize, is correct; and whether they consider this practice to be ethical.
§ Lord GilbertThe research team headed by Professor Simon Wessely at King's College School of Medicine is carrying out an epidemiological study into the health of Gulf War veterans for the US Department of Defense. This work is being funded and carried out independently of the Ministry of Defence, and the methodology being adopted is a matter for Professor Wessely and his team. I understand that it is Professor Wessely's intention that, on return of completed questionnaires for this study, veterans' names will be entered in a £1,000 prize draw. Although the MoD did not commission this research, we are co-operating with it and are satisfied that appropriate medical ethical clearance for the study has been obtained.