§ Mr. Stuart Hollandasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much his Department 351W spends directly and indirectly on research ino (a) acquired immune deficiency syndrome, (b) cancer and (c) the common cold.
§ Mr. BrookeThe Medical Research Council (MRC), which receives its grant-in-aid through the Department, is the main Government agency for the promotion of medical research in the United Kingdom. As to expenditure on AIDS, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) on 26 November at column389. In the financial year 1983–84, I understand that the council spent approximately £11 million on cancer research projects, with the Health Departments contributing a further £5.8 million. A number of areas of enquiry are relevant to the common cold, including viral infections, influenza and diseases of the upper respiratory tract. The MRC's on projects in these areas totalled £1.55 million in 1983–84.
Research into these problems is also being conducted in universities and medical schools. Much of this is financed from the block grant allocated for teaching and research on advice from the University Grants Committee.