§ Mrs. Ewingasked the Minister of Health what sum is now allotted by his Department for research into rheumatic diseases.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonNo funds are allotted by my Department specifically for research into rheumatic diseases. Research in these diseases is, however, being carried on in a number of National Health Service hospitals and rheumatism centres, with financial support from the clinical research allocations which my Department makes to hospital boards, from board's own resources and from charitable sources. The clinical research allocations are usually contributions towards the total cost of Boards' research programmes, and it is not possible to say what proportion of them is used for rheumatism research.
In addition to the work done in the Health Service hospitals, research in rheumatic diseases, together with a wide programme of basis biological research which may increase our knowledge of these diseases, is being carried out in Medical Research Council establishments and in university departments.