§ Mr. Weetchasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will provide financial help towards pressure chamber facilities for experiments and tests in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
§ Mr. RossiExperiments and tests of this kind would lie in the field of biomedical research, the Department's needs for which are met by the Medical Research Council, the main Government-funded body supporting biomedical research from its grant-in-aid under the Science Vote of the Department of Education and Science.
The health Departments have informed the Medical Research Council that multiple sclerosis is a priority area and a great deal of work is being undertaken. The detailed formulation of projects is a matter for the Council.
It is of course open to any suitably qualified researcher to submit an application to the Medical Research Council.
I am aware from press reports of the work being supported by Action for Research into Multiple Sclerosis (a voluntary body) and as I said in my reply to the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner) of 15 November—[Vol. 32, c. 61]—when their results are published they will be studied.