§ Mr. Robert Atkinsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the allocation of funds within the National Health Service for research into the causes and cures for arthritis and rheumatism; and how this allocation compares with research into heart diseases.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneI have been asked to reply.
The Medical Research Council is mainly responsible for supporting research from public funds in these fields. In the financial year 1978–79 it spent approximately £776,000 on research which can be regarded as directly concerned with arthritis and rheumatism and £1,354,000 on research directly related to heart disease. Much of the council's other research may also be relevant to these conditions.