Mr. Gareth R. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 23 October 2001,Official Report, column 184W, whether the research by Professor Peter Sonkson at St. Thomas' Hospital has been continued in the UK since his retirement. [39322]
§ Mr. CabornResearch into the use of Human Growth Hormone (hGH) is continuing in the UK. However, the main sources of funding for this work, the International Olympic Committee and the European Commission, have not extended their financial investment beyond the initial funding agreed for this research.
Worldwide, research teams continue work in this field with grants awarded by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). At present WADA is committing US$5 million per year to research in five priority areas which include compounds that aid the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, such as Erythropoietin (EPO), the factors that regulate and increase growth, such as human growth hormone hGH.