§ Mr. Kennedyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the Official Report the numbers of pensioners who have other incomes apart from state benefit, earned or unearned incomes, within the following categories: (a) nil, (b) up to £250 per year, (c) up to £500 per year, (d) up to £750 per year, (e) up to £1,000 per year, and (f) up to £1,250 per year.
§ Mr. Whitney[pursuant to his reply, 11 February 1985; c. 75]: The distribution of the amount of income apart from state social security benefits is shown in the table. The estimates are based on family expenditure survey data for 1981 with the money values uprated by the general retail price index to December 1984 equivalents. The estimates include both single and married pensioner families but exclude pensioners living in institutions such as residential homes, or hospitals, and people over pension age with no state social security benefit.
77Wcommissioned on the subject of women's health subsequent to Her Majesty's Government's reply to the United Nations end of decade for women questionnaire; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke[pursuant to his reply, 12 February 1985, c. 167]: Our Department has commissioned the following research relating to women's health:
- Psychological morbidity associated with screening for breast cancer.
- An economic evaluation of the early detection of breast cancer.
- A study of chlamydia trachomatis in the female genital tract.
- An overview of research on the provision and utilisation of the child health services.
- An evaluation of respite care for children in England and Wales.
- The development of methods of evaluation of the preventative child health services.
- A study of the rubella immunisation state of females, especially those first found susceptible during a pregnancy.
- Infections in hospital nurses.
A study on attitudes to pregnancy has been extended of a further three years and two other items have been started which are closely related to the health of women:
- An assessment of home care of the dying.
- A study of patterns of long stay care for people with severe dementia.
However, these studies which we have commissioned are only a small proportion of the total of medical research financed by the Government. The Medical Research Council, which receives its grant-in-aid through the Department of Education and Science, is the main Government agency for the promotion of medical research in the United Kingdom. Details of its research can be found in the copy of the council's handbook for 1984–85, which is available in the Library of the House.