§ Mr. John MorrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, further to his answer of 21 April,Official Report, columns 343–44, what progress has been made in his 546W Department's discussion with the Medical Research Council on the funding of further work on the usefulness and effectiveness of temperature monitors and alarms to reduce the number of cot deaths.
§ Mr. FreemanThe position on research into sudden infant death was discussed at a meeting between the Department and the Medical Research Council (MRC) on 17 April. Subsequently the Department asked the MRC to commission a critical review of the literature, including that on the relationship between sudden infant deaths and infant temperature. The MRC has specifically been asked for advice on the type of device which would reliably monitor infant temperature changes and the value of an intervention study designed to test the effectiveness of such a device in monitoring changes and preventing "cot deaths".