§ 83. Sir R. Russellasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children in Great Britain suffer from muscular dystrophy; what grants are being made for research into the causes and cure of this disease; and what progress is being made in the research.
§ Mr. M. StewartThe information asked for in the first part of the hon. Member's question is not available.
Government funds for research relevant to muscular dystrophy are being provided through the Medical Research Council, who are supporting studies in four of their own research units as well as by the award of research grants to independent workers. Further work is being undertaken with official support in a number of university and hospital departments. These studies 23W normally form part of wider programmes of research on neuromuscular disease so that it is not possible to estimate expenditure on research on muscular dystrophy alone.
This condition is an extremely difficult one to study but every effort is being made to follow up all hopeful lines of investigation.