§ Mr. WheelerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will detail the nature and extent of research into multiple sclerosis.
Mr. JacksonThe Medical Research Council is the main Government agency for the direct support of biomedical research. The council is supporting a number of research projects on multiple sclerosis, including both basic work on the nature of the disease and clinical studies of its treatment. In the financial year 1986–87, the council spent £404,000 on research into multiple sclerosis. The council is always willing to consider soundly based research grant applications in competition with other applicants.
Research into multiple sclerosis is also carried out in universities and medical schools using funds for teaching and research allocated on advice from the University Grants Committee. In addition the medical charities are funding relevant research. The Government are not in a position to influence directly the scale and nature of these research activities.