§ Mrs. Bainasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is the current level of Government expenditure on research in Scotland into the causes and treatment of rheumatic diseases;
(2) what funds the Government intend to make available in the next financial year for research in Scotland into the causes and treatment of rheumatic diseases.
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§ Mr. Harry EwingMuch the greater part of Government support for medical research is given through the universities and the Medical Research Council, and is not assignable to any particular disease or group of diseases, and it is not possible to give a meaningful separate figure for total current expenditure in Scotland on a group such as rheumatic diseases because much basic work, such as that on microbiology and immunology, is relevant. My Department directly supports a limited number of medical research projects, and the current expenditure from that source attributable specifically to rheumatic diseases is about £11,000 annually. Medical Research Council expenditure in Scotland specifically on rheumatic diseases is at present about £18,000 annually.
No estimate can be given of the level of expenditure on research into these diseases in the next financial year, although it is to be expected that it may be about the same as the current level.