§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will seek to meet the president of the Royal College of Physicians to discuss Government funding of medical research projects.
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§ Mr. William SheltonMy right hon. Friend has at present no plans to do so.
§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total amount of Government funds allocated to the Medical Research Council in 1979, 1980 and 1981.
§ Mr. William SheltonThe Medical Research Council received the following amounts. The first line of the table represents the grants-in-aid to the council from the science budget of my Department, and the second line the amounts received by the council in respect of work commissioned by other Departments.
£ million, cash prices 1979–80 1980–81 *1981–82 Grant-in-aid 57.3 72.7 101.7 Receipts from other Government Departments 14.3 17.0 2.6 Total 71.6 89.7 104.3 * Estimated.
§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science which medical research organisations in receipt of direct financial support from Her Majesty's Government have had such support reduced in 1981; and by how much.
§ Mr. William SheltonThe only medical research organisation in receipt of direct financial support from my Department is the Medical Research Council, which is funded mainly by a grant-in-aid from the science budget. For information about the level of support during 1981 I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. McCrindle) on 7 December 1981.—[Vol. 14, c. 318–19.]
Comparable information is not available for the medical research organisations directly funded by Health Departments, on grounds of disproportionate cost.