HC Deb 10 July 1963 vol 680 cc1236-7
30. Miss Herbison

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what research is being undertaken in Scotland into the probable relation between pneumoconiosis and carcinoma of the lung.

Mr. Noble

Both diseases are the subject of research programmes supported by public funds, but no such programme in Scotland is specifically directed to the relationship between them.

Miss Herbison

Can the Secretary of State give us any idea if funds in Scotland are to be devoted to this? Is he not aware that there are two main reasons why this should bed one? The first is that a number of miners have been found to be suffering from both diseases. The second is that on the death of the miner the widow is often denied industrial death benefit because death is said to be due to carcinoma and not to pneumoconiosis? Will he not do something to try to speed up research in Scotland into these two diseases?

Mr. Noble

If a case is made to me or to the Medical Research Council or the Scottish Hospital Endowments Research Trust, I am sure that it will be considered very carefully both on its merits and on the desirability of this form of research.

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