§ Sir Trevor SkeetTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what funds are spent by(a) the Medical Research Council and (b) the National Health Service on the development of advanced polymers and polymeric biomaterials for the close and continued association of such materials with human tissue.
Mr. JacksonThe Medical Research Council is not funding any research in this subject. The council is, however, interested in the clinical acceptability and applicability of such materials.
Since 1981 the Science and Engineering Research Council has supported a special programme in medical engineering, costing approximately £900,000 a year. An important component of this programme has been the development and use of polymers, including research on: polymers designed for drug delivery, the haemocompatibility of polymers, to evaluate their potential for use in cardiovascular devices, and the value of using polymeric materials for wound management.
I understand that the DHSS is not aware of any research being funded by the National Health Service in this area.