HC Deb 14 July 1986 vol 101 cc403-4W
Mr. Lawrence

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services by which means, and at what cost, his Department helps with research into heart disease.

Mr. Whitney

The Department gives research grants for projects relating to heart disease which are of particular relevance to service provision in the National Health Service. Support is being provided by the Department during the current financial year 1986–87 to five such projects, details of which are listed. The total amount of that support during the current year is expected to be over £100,000 and the overall cost to the Department of the five projects in question is some £635,000.

The main Government agency for the promotion of medical research in this country is the Medical Research Council, which receives its grant-in-aid from the Department of Education and Science.

We look to the MRC to meet our needs for biomedical research. Priorities have in the recent past included work relating to heart disease and have included, for example, the links between smoking and coronary heart disease, management of mild to moderate hypertension, more recently in the elderly, but also in adults as a whole, and studies of coronary arterial bypass operations.

A. Projects which DHSS is supporting during the current financial year.

  1. 1. University of Kent: "Disease prevention and health promotion in primary care: coronary heart disease prevention". Support agreed for 1986–87: £12,500 total agreed support: £302,500.
  2. 2. Polytechnic of the South Bank, London: "Simulation planning model in cardiology" support agreed for 1986–87: £3,400. Total agreed support: £36,600.
  3. 3. London university "DHSS Hypertension Care Computer Project" (being funded jointly with Scottish Home and Health Department and Health Promotion Research Trust). DHSS support agreed for 1986–87: £27,000. Total agreed DHSS support: £103,000.
  4. 4. Nottingham university "Nottingham Heart Attack Register" Support agreed for 1986–87: £43,000. Total agreed support: £124,600.
  5. 5. London university "British Regional Heart Study". Support agreed for 1986–87: £16,500. Total agreed support: £68,600.

B. Work which DHSS has supported in the recent past

  1. 1. Brunel university and Cambridge university: "Costs and Benefits of the Cardiac Transplantation Programmes at Harefield and Papworth Hospitals". Started October 1981, completed February 1985. Total cost: £185,000.
  2. 2. Oxford university: Medical Research Council multi-centre trial of aspirin to prevent major stroke after ischaemic heart attack. (DHSS contribution of £40,500 covering the period January 1983—December 1985).