§ Mr. Meadowcroftasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will indicate the actual amounts and the proportion of the total Medical Research Council budget allocated to research projects in Oxford, 477W Cambridge and London for each of the years (a) 1978–79, (b) 1979–80, (c) 1980–81, (d) 1981–82, (e) 1982–83 and (f) 1983–84.
§ Mr. BrookeI understand that the Medical Research Council estimates that its research expenditure in each of the three locations mentioned is as follows:
Financial Year
Oxford Cambridge London £000 Per cent. of budget
£000 Per cent. of budget
£000 Per cent. of budget
1980–81 4,326 4.6 10,579 11.4 27,461 29.5 1981–82 4,646 4.4 12,650 11.9 33,308 31.2 1982–83 4,847 4.3 13,385 11.8 35,691 31.6 1983–84 5,566 4.6 14,210 11.9 37,662 31.4 No figures are available prior to 1980–81.
§ Mr. Meadowcroftasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will indicate for each of the years (a) 1978–79, (b) 1979–80, (c) 1980–81, (d) 1981–82, (e) 1982–83 and (f) 1984, the proportion of the total Medical Research Council budget devoted to clinical rather than laboratory research; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BrookeI understand that the Medical Research Council regards clinical research as research requiring direct access to patients—though some of the research itself may take place in laboratories. The proportion of its own budgets devoted to such work between 1980–81 and 1982–83 is estimated to be as follows:
Financial Year Percentage of MRC total budget 1980–81 23.2 1981–82 23.2 1982–83 23.9 No figures are available prior to 1980–81 or for 1983–84.
I would also refer the hon. Member to my answer on 17 January to the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) at col. 226.