§ Mr. Muddasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what consideration he is now giving to making adequate financial provision for research into the physical factors of mental illness.
§ Mr. AlisonThe main Government agency for the advancement of medical research is the Medical Research Council which is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science. I understand that the council is currently spending about £1,600,000 per annum on more basic research in mental illness. An increasing part of this expenditure is concerned with mental illness in which physical and biochemical factors may have a significant part and this expenditupre is expected to increase in the future.
My Department's research programme is related to the provision of services. About £45,000 in the current year is being spent on those aspects of mental illness in which physical factors may have a significant part. Research in this field is expanding and I expect expenditure to increase next year. Much will depend upon the progress made in the current research.