§ Mr. Hannamasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what funding is given to research into Menieres disease; and how much grant support the Medical Research Council gives to such research.
§ Mr. BrookeThe Medical Research Council (MRC), which receives its grant-in-aid through the Department, is the main Government agency for the promotion of medical research in the United Kingdom. I understand that Menieres disease is characterised by tinnitus, deafness and intermittent attacks of giddiness. In the financial year 1983–84 MRC's expenditure on research into hearing and balance disorders — including expenditure on projects which could prove relevant to these conditions— was £2,170,000. Out of this total, £160,000 was spent on tinnitus and £1,409,000 on deafness and balance disorders. The council is always willing to consider soundly based research proposals for support through its research grant scheme in competition with other applications.
Research work on and relevant to Menieres disease may also be conducted in universities and medical schools using funds allocated for teaching and research on the advice of the University Grants Committee, but details of such work are not collected centrally. The medical charities may also be funding work in this field.