Prince Charles makes New Age medicine plea

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Britain's Prince Charles has urged the government to allocate 10 million pounds ($14.21 million) to fund a five-year research program into the effects of alternative medicine, the Times reported Wednesday.

Charles, a long-standing advocate of alternative medicine, had held a 90-minute meeting with Health Secretary Alan Milburn over funding for the Foundation for Integrated Medicine, founded by the prince in 1996, the newspaper said.

"It is critical that government funding is made available for this initiative," Michael Fox, the foundation's chief executive, was quoted as saying.

"Without the right evidence to show that complimentary medicines work, the National Health Service will not be persuaded to make them available," he said.

The foundation wants to research a range of treatments such as acupuncture.

"Prince Charles has been at the forefront of the campaign for integrated medicine. It will be good news if more money is now forthcoming," a spokesman for Charles was quoted as saying.

No immediate comment was available from the government.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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