§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will make a statement concerning the initiatives her Department has taken to assist those in the medical profession who are pioneering treatment for those suffering from multiple sclerosis;
(2) if she will make a statement concerning her future policy development as it affects neurological matters.
§ Mr. BowisThe Department is providing funding for a study being carried out at the university of Cardiff entitled162W "Walking and Mobility in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis—Is Modification by Physiotherapy Effective". The study is due to finish in June 1995. Research is primarily a matter for the Medical Research Council which receives its grant in aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. In addition to research directly on multiple sclerosis, the Medical Research Council also supports research on a number of related topics, in particular muscle and neuroscience research, which may shed light on the causes and mechanisms and potential therapies.
The treatment and management of multiple sclerosis, as for other neurological conditions which result in physical disability, are primarily a matter for the medical practitioners concerned. It is for the district health authority or general practitioner fundholder to enter into arrangements with hospital and community units to ensure that the necessary range of services is available. The National Health Service Management Executive priorities and planning guidelines—EL(93)54—for 1994–95, copies of which are available in the Library, require regional health authorities to ensure that services for people with physical disabilities meet local standards in all districts based on the assessment of need and consultation with disabled people and carers.