§ Mr. McTaggartasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if his Department will undertake research on whether the incidence of ischaemic heart disease mortality is affected by economic recession.
§ Mr. John MacKayMy Department has no specific proposals to undertake such research. However, because of the particular burden of ischaemic heart disease in Scotland in recent years very considerable resources have been devoted by my. Department for wide-ranging research 121W into this condition. As an outcome, a new cardiovascular disease epidemiology unit was established in the University of Dundee last year; and more recently agreement was reached for Scottish participation in a major multinational long-term prospective study of trends and determinants of the disease being organised by the World Health Organisation. It is to be hoped that these initiatives, together with other research supported by my Department and research organisations such as the Medical Research Council and the British Heart Foundation will throw further light on the causation of the condition.