HC Deb 26 April 1988 vol 132 c132W
Mr. Wareing

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to assist in the funding of the final testing of the HDA method of screening for cervical cancer; what is his assessment of the importance of the HDA procedure; and if he will make a statement.

Rev. Martin Smyth

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about funding for a hydrolysed DNA assay procedure for early detection of cervical neoplasms; and what is his Department's current position regarding such funding.

Mrs. Currie

[holding answer 25 April 1988]: One of the 13 applications for funding of research and development in the field of automated cervical cancer screening that were reviewed in February by an ad hoc expert working group chaired by the Department's chief scientist was from Dr. Sincock of the Middlesex hospital and related to hydrolysed DNA assay. The expert group did not recommend that Dr. Sincock's project as submitted should be funded by the Department. Officials are now exploring with commercial interests the possibility of a joint funding venture that could pave the way for commercialisation of Dr. Sincock's assay.