§ 2.42 p.m.
§ BARONESS BROOKE OF YSTRADFELLTEMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total expenditure of the Medical Research Council in the year 1971–72; and out of this total how much was spent on research into all types of mental disorder.
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE (LORD BELSTEAD)My Lords, the Medical Research Council's total expenditure for the year 1971–72 amounted to £23.469 million, of which £2.079 million was devoted to research into all forms of mental illness. The Council's expenditure in this field has risen steadily over the years, having increased nearly six-fold since 1961–62; the proportion of the Council's total budget so allocated has risen from 6½ per cent. to nearly 9 per cent. over the same period. Special efforts are being made to expand the Council's programme on mental illness, in particular by encouraging biochemical studies in psychiatry. During the past year two new research establishments concerned with the biochemical aspects of the problem have been set up and the Council have awarded four long-term programme grants and some 35 project grants in this field.
§ BARONESS BROOKE OF YSTRADFELLTEMy Lords, while thanking the Minister for that encouraging report on development in the forms of moneys made available for research, may I ask him what amount was spent by the Medical Research Council in the year 1971–72 on research directly aimed at finding the causes of schizophrenia and what amount was spent on general research with relevance to that objective?
§ LORD BELSTEADMy Lords, I am told that the difficulty is that biochemical studies in progress in the field of mental illness may relate to the knowledge both 7 of schizophrenia and also of mental disorder in general; and that the same applies to the neuro-biological studies on the functions of the nervous system. It is for this reason that I do not think I can give the noble Baroness a figure relating only to schizophrenia beyond what I said in my original Answer.
§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILLMy Lords, in view of the fact that 50 per cent. of the hospital beds in this country are occupied by patients suffering from some degree of mental disability, does the Minister think that the small proportion which he mentioned as being allocated to research is adequate?
§ LORD BELSTEADMy Lords, the figures rose from £368,000 of M.R.C. expenditure on mental health in 1961–62 to £2,079,000, and those are out of total budgets of £5,572,000 in 1961–62 and £23,469,000 in 1971–72. The respective percentages are 6.0 per cent. and 8.86 per cent. As the noble Baroness will know very much better than I do, there is other research which goes on in this field as well.
§ LORD MAYBRAY-KINGMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the voluntary bodies who care for spastics, autistic children and spina bifida children are keenly interested in research into the causes, the treatment and—some day, please God!—the cure for these handicapped children? Is there a link between the work which his own Department is doing and the work done by the voluntary bodies?—because the voluntary bodies are hampered above all by lack of money.
§ LORD BELSTEADMy Lords, when I referred the noble Baroness, Lady Summerskill, to other research which is going on in this field I was thinking particularly, among other things, of the Mental Health Research Fund, the National Association for Mentally Handicapped Children and the National Association for Mental Health. I think the link which the noble Lord is asking about is really between the Department of my right honourable friend, the Secretary of State for Social Services, and those bodies. I know there is a link certainly between the Government and the second of the three organisations I mentioned. 8 Perhaps the noble Lord would allow me to look at this point a little more closely and get in touch with him.
§ BARONESS SEROTAMy Lords, I wonder whether I might refer to the point raised by the noble Lord, Lord MaybrayKing, and take it a little further. He asked the question specifically in relation to the voluntary organisations who are concerned with various forms of handicap. May I ask the noble Lord, Lord Belstead, whether the figures he has just given to the House on research into mental disorder include research into mental handicap, or whether this is money found from an entirely different Vote?
§ LORD BELSTEADMy Lords, no; as I understand it, this refers to mental handicap as well but does not necessarily include the cost of work done by any of the voluntary bodies. If I am wrong on that point I will certainly write immediately to the noble Baroness. But, as I understand it, what I said to her is the case.