§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the Official Report the assistance given by his Department for the relief, research and assistance for sufferers of spina bifida and hydrocephalus for the years 1978, 1979 and 1980.
§ Sir George YoungThe main voluntary body working with sufferers and their families and promoting research into the cause and treatment of this condition is the Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus. The Department has been contributing towards the administrative costs of this organisation since 1974. The grant for the last four financial years has been:
1977–78 £14,750 1978–79 £22,500 1979–80 £25,000 (+£748 towards fire precautions work) 1980–81 £30,000 (£1,366 towards fire precautions work) The Department has recently awarded ASBAH an additional £10,000 towards the costs of its social rehabilitation courses for young people, as a special grant for the International Year of Disabled People.
The Department supported research into health and social services aspects of these conditions at a cost of £34,000, £46,000 and £67,000 in the financial years 1977–78, 1978–79 and 1979–80 respectively.
I understand that expenditure by the Medical Research Council, which is the main Government-funded body supporting research into these conditions, totalled £106,000, £136,000 and £174,000 respectively in the same three financial years.
Details of the projects supported by the Medical Research Council and by the Department are given below:
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Projects supported by the Medical Research Council relating to Spina Bifida and Anencephalus Establishment Project MRC Clinical and Population Cytogenetics Unit Cytogenetics of cells from amniotic fluid and spontaneous abortuses: Influence of environmental factors MRC Clinical Genetics Unit, London Family studies of genetic and environmental factors in the aetiology of common congenital malformations, especially of the neural tube and heart and kidney Department of Human Genetics, University of Edinburgh Maternal plasma alphafetoprotein measurement in early pre-natal diagnosis of spina bifida and anencephalus* Department of Genetics, University of Edinburgh Development of a rapid objective in vitro assay for substances or their metabolites teratogenic to man or animals* Department of Community Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Prevalence of achlorhydria in mothers of spina bifida off-spring MRC Immunoassay Team, Edinburgh National quality control scheme for radioimmunoassays of human growth hormone and maternal serum feto-protein, FSH-LH and prolactin, and late maternal serum oestriol and HPL Paediatric Research Unit, Guy's Hospital Medical School, London Genetic and environmental factors responsible for the appearance of neural tube defects on curly tail mice Department of Urology, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge The use of intermittent catheterisation for children with spina bifida Department of Population Teratology, London School of Hamster teratogens in potato sprouts Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London Department of Community Medicine, Queen's University, Belfast Epidemiological studies of anencephalus and spina bifida * Support ended in 1977–78 Note: The above list gives projects the major concern of which is spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus. The Council also supports a considerable volume of work on mental/physical handicap however caused, and on mammalian development and teratogenicity, that is of relevance. Projects supported by DHSS Welsh National School of Medicine, Cardiff Study of feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of four screening options for neural tube defects Thomas Coram Research Unit, London Psycho-social adjustment of teenagers with cerebal palsy or spina bifida and hydrocephalus Department of Regius Professor of Medicine, University of Oxford Screening for neural defects Other research was supported from Government funds in the Universities and Hospital Medical Schools but details are not kept centrally.