§ Mr. Dickensasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider setting up a first-class specialist unit to act as a co-ordinating centre for other laboratories throughout the United Kingdom which are giving a more limited service in the allergy field, to undertake research and to treat the growing number of people suffering from total allergy syndrome.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe main Government-funded body supporting research into allergies is the Medical Research Council, which receives a grant-in-aid from the science budget of the Department of Education and Science. The health departments regularly review their needs and priorities for medical research which are taken into account by the council when considering the appropriate course to be followed.
The need for further research effort into allergies will be kept under review, but in the meantime the council is always willing to consider scientifically sound proposals for research in this field.