Volume 11: Scientists after Southwood
3. The Tyrrell Report
Rationale for an Interim Report

3.1 During its first meeting the Committee was told that a joint MRC/AFRC review of work on 'slow viruses' was scheduled for 8/9 June. At the Committee's second meeting Dr Levy informed the members that the review agenda was not yet available, but it was still scheduled for June. The Committee therefore agreed to have its third meeting in May and endeavour to have an Interim Report available for consideration by the time of the MRC/AFRC review. ¹

3.2 This timetable led to confusion later over the exact role of the Committee. On 2 May 1989 Dr Pickles minuted Dr Jeremy Metters, Senior Principal Officer at DH, and sought guidance on the following:

The original rush to produce an 'interim' report was to be in time for MRC/AFRC discussion on the future of the NPU. I am not clear what sort of report the chairman had in mind for his 'final' report, or maybe he, like me, was unclear when he was expected to complete his work or perhaps whether indeed his committee was to continue for ever. ²

3.3 In the end the proposed MRC/AFRC review was postponed because the Tyrrell Committee was covering similar ground. ³