§ Mr. Bob RussellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he has taken to help victims of Sjögren's Syndrome; what research is currently being undertaken; and what treatment is available for patients in the North Essex Health Authority Area. [36220]
§ Ms JowellHealth authorities are responsible for assessing the needs of their populations and commissioning services to meet those needs. The National Health Service provides a considerable number of services to which people with Sjögren's Syndrome have access, and such patients are seen within a wide range of hospital specialties.
The main agency through which the Government support bio-medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC is an independent body which receives its grant-in-aid from the Office of Science and Technology, which is part of the Department of Trade and Industry. The MRC is not currently funding any research into Sjögren's Syndrome. However, the estimated MRC research expenditure on autoimmune diseases was about £980,000 in 1996/97. This itself is underpinned by much basic scientific work in the MRC's extensive portfolio of research on immunity. Total MRC research into infections, immunity and inflammation is estimated at some £60 million for 1997/98.
Sjögren's Syndrome is also classed as a connective tissue disorder. Estimated MRC research expenditure in areas relevant to connective tissue disorders was over £1 million in 1996/97.