§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of long-term funding of dual support for externally-funded research projects. [61465]
§ Ms BlearsThe Department continues to provide resources in the national health service (NHS) to secure research funded through the dual support system. In March 2000, my noble Friend the Lord Hunt of Kings Heath announced the development programme for NHS research and development (R&D) funding set out in "Research and Development for a First Class Service: R&D funding in the new NHS". This includes transparent and accountable arrangements for targeting NHS funding on providing the NHS base for high quality science and556W on meeting the NHS costs of supporting high quality R&D under appropriate standards of strategic direction and quality assurance.