§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department has provided in each of the last five years for research into hereditary breast cancer; and if he will make a statement on progress in research. [32816]
§ Mr. MaloneThe main agency through which the Government supports medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council. The MRC is an independent body which receives its grant in aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade.
410WMRC funding for research into hereditary breast cancer is shown in the list.
- 1990–91: £539,000
- 1991–92: £622,000
- 1992–93: £658,000
- 1993–94: 1£133,000
- 1994–95: £596,000
1 It has not been possible to obtain financial information for relevant research into MRC's own establishments for 1993–94; those figures, which just cover grant support in universities, are therefore lower than the true total.
§ Mr. HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many women have been diagnosed with mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 since records began; what estimate his Department has made as to the total number of women in the UK with such a condition; and if he will make a statement; [32817]
(2) what assessment he has made of the advantages of providing screening and preventive treatment for women at risk of developing hereditary breast cancer; and if he will make a statement. [32818]
§ Mr. HoramInformation on the number of women diagnosed with mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 is not available centrally. The Advisory Committee on Genetic Testing was established in January 1996 to advise on developments in testing for genetic disorders and scientific and ethical issues. The Department is also planning to establish a small group to advise on cancer genetics services.