§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they expect to publish the first of the six-monthly reports on the systematic literature review of Gulf War illnesses. [HL1005]
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)The systematic literature review is being carried out over a period of three years by a team led by Professor Glyn Lewis at the University of Wales and funded by the Ministry of Defence through the Medical Research Council (MRC). Professor Lewis has provided two progress reports to the MRC. The MRC has explored whether those reports can be made public, but it is Professor Lewis's view that this would prejudice the publication of the full study in a peer reviewed journal. The "gold standard" for dissemination of MoD funded Gulf health research is publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. It does not therefore appear at this stage that it will be possible for the MRC to make the18WA progress reports public as the MoD had originally expected when the work was announced. The MRC will encourage Professor Lewis to publish once a reasonable body of work has accumulated on each of the issues. In addition, a University of Wales website will be established this summer to list the details of the references that have been identified in the literature search.
§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
How frequently the Medical Research Council Gulf Health Research Steering Group has met since its inception. [HL1006]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanThe Medical Research Council Gulf War Illness Research Programme Steering Committee has met five times since its inception in early 1997.