§ Mr. Elystan Morganasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science in view of the research work concerning the possible infective aspect of multiple sclerosis, and the general virological research which is carried out at the Medical Research Council's Demyeliminating Diseases Unit at Newcastle-on-Tyne, what prospect there is of the discovery of an effective treatment for this disease in the foreseeable future, and what extension of the work of the Newcastle-on-Tyne unit is planned.
§ Mrs. ThatcherDevelopment of effective treatment is likely to depend upon the understanding of underlying disease processes that are as yet largely unknown. It is therefore not possible to assess the prospects of discovering such a treatment. The Council's policy is to maintain several lines of approach and to develop any which show promise of useful results. Further developments must depend on the results of current work.