§ 56. Dr. Mawhinneyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much the Medical Research Council is planning to spend on research into cot deaths in 1984–85.
§ Mr. BrookeIt is for the Medical Research Council to determine priorities from within the grant-in-aid it receives annually from the Department's science budget. I understand that the MRC is at present supporting 12 projects (whose cost in 1983–84 was £244,000) the outcome of which may prove relevant to respiratory distress syndrome or sudden infant death syndrome or both, and it is not yet known what new applications may be received in the coming year. The council is always willing to consider soundly based research proposals for support through their research grant scheme in competition with other applications.