§ 13. Mr. Pavittasked the Lord President of the Council and Minister for Science how many research projects on bronchopulmonary diseases and lung cancer have been initiated by the Medical Research Council since 1957; how many have been completed; what is the total amount of funds allocated for these projects; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HoggThe Council has for many years supported a wide programme of research on these conditions. For the most part, this work is a continuing process, and since it is closely integrated with the Council's general research programme it is not possible to give a reliable estimate of the expenditure involved.
§ Mr. PavittIs the Minister aware that in the publication Medical Research in Britain, published by the Government in 196 May 1963, two pages of projects are listed, but that this project does not appear there? If the Government are having a wide coverage, surely there should be some publicity put forward for this purpose. Is he further aware that bronchitis alone costs 31 million production days a year, as compared with only 5.7 million days lost in strikes? This is something about which we should have more than vague statements of general continuing responsibility, especially as in 1957 the Government announced as policy that they would try to prevent people from smoking.
§ Mr. HoggThe point is that this is one of the main lines of research by the Medical Research Council. Eight of the Council's research units and one of its research groups are engaged, wholly or partly, on this research. The Council also has a major financial responsibility for the Institute of Cancer Research, London, and the Cancer Research Department of the Royal Beatson Memorial Hospital, Glasgow. Work related to this subject is also undertaken by a number of the Council's external scientific staff, and numerous projects are supported by the Council's research branch.