§ Mr. Weitzmanasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps she is taking to promote research into the hereditary disease retinitis pigmentosa, which affects some 25,000 families; and if she will provide financial help to make up for the closing down of the research unit in Edinburgh.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsThe Medical Research Council has set up a working party urgently to consider what aspects26W of research on retinitis pigmentosa are most likely to be effective. It expects to consider a project for clinical studies early next year and a more detailed programme in the summer. It is already supporting research on the genetics of the disease at its Human Biochemical Genetics Unit in London and Clinical and Population Cytogenetics Unit in Edinburgh. Work on the disease which has now ended formed a small part of the research programme of its Brain Metabolism Unit which is not being closed down.