§ 27. Mr. Wainwrightasked the Minister of Health how many people were suffering from severe muscular dystrophy at the latest available date.
§ Mr. BraineI regret this information is not available.
§ Mr. WainwrightDoes not the hon. Gentleman realise that there are at least 19 50,000 of these cases in this country? Is he quite satisfied that his Department is doing everything to help these people and cater for their needs? Could the hon. Gentleman tell the House how much is being spent on research into this disease? Does he not agree that we are relying too much on moneys provided by voluntary organisations from the sale of milk bottle tops and silver paper to provide the funds to carry out some kind of research? Cannot the Ministry do more than it is doing?
§ Mr. BraineI would not altogether accept the figure that the hon. Gentleman has mentioned. There are various estimates of the incidence of this disease rising from 3,000 or 4,000 to about 20,000, but I am not in a position to comment on them. Most sufferers from the disease are not in-patients at hospitals. The trouble is that it is a hereditary disease. At present treatment is almost entirely palliative. The answer therefore to the second part of the hon. Gentleman's question is that research is proceeding into the causes of this disease under the Medical Research Council and at a number of hospitals. The Muscular Dystrophy Group of the Central Council for the Care of Cripples is also supporting research.