§ Mr. Moonmanasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much Government expenditure is involved in the study of psychiatric illness; and whether he intends to increase this amount in the next three years.
§ Mr. Goronwy RobertsIt is not possible to give an estimate of total expenditure. The Medical Research Council expect to spend approximately £625,000 on research into mental illness and £320,000 on related psychological studies in 1967–68. But in addition a wide programme of basic biological research which may help to shed light on the problems of mental illness and mental deficiency is carried out under the Council's auspices and a great deal of research is also undertaken in university departments and hospitals. It is for the Medical Research Council and the other bodies concerned to decide what proportion of their future allocations of Government funds shall be devoted to these purposes.