By Wendy Barnaby

“Homeopathy is still supported on the National Health Service,” Royal Society President Sir Paul Nurse said at the British Science Festival yesterday. “The amounts of money spent on it are small, but it’s the symbolic significance of it. If we are to make the case for evidence-based medicine then there shouldn’t be any homeopathy.”

Sir Paul was commenting on the appointment of Jeremy Hunt as Health Secretary in the cabinet reshuffle today.  Hunt is on record as saying that homeopathy hospitals make a “positive contribution” to the NHS.

“It could be that in his new position he will read more thoroughly and pay closer attention to the evidence base, and it could be he will change his mind,” continued Sir Paul.

In 2007 Hunt signed an early day motion which welcomed  “the positive contribution made to the health of the nation by the NHS homeopathic hospitals”.

Downing Street was reported as saying that he had since reconsidered his views.