§ Mr. Warrenasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what will be the effect on research into heart disease if the Medical Research Council ceases funding of the British Regional Heart Study; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BrookeFurther information on risk factors in ischaemic heart disease, which might have resulted from an extension of funding of the cohort study in the British regional heart study, may not now be obtained unless an alternative source of funding to the Medical Research Council can be found. I understand that nevertheless the MRC has provided additional funds amounting to £30,000 to allow the analysis of the results of the cohort study to be completed.
The MRC makes a substantial contribution, with the universities and the medical research charities, to the support of research into cardio-vascular disease. In 1983–84 the council's expenditure on projects relevant to this type of disease amounted to £4.1 million, while a total of £10.3 million was spent on projects which might prove relevant.