§ Dr. Twinnasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will increase his Department's grants to the national voluntary organisations helping sufferers from sickle cell disease.
§ Mr. John PattenWe are well aware of the important role played by the national voluntary organisations both in counselling the population at risk of sickle cell disease and in spreading greater awareness of this condition within the professions and the general public. I have therefore decided to increase the grants given to both the Organisation for Sickle Cell Anaemia Research and the Sickle Cell Society for 1984–85 to £12,000 each. That represents an increase of 50 per cent. over their grants for 1983–84.