§ Rev. Martin SmythTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what are his Department's plans for the future funding of research into primary care psychiatry; what arrangements have been made with the Medical Research Council for work to continue in this area; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. Currie[holding answer 11 July 1988]: We continue to regard research into primary care psychiatry as important. In view of the forthcoming retirement of the director of the DHSS-funded general practice research unit at the Institute of Psychiatry we have, as is our normal practice, reviewed the way we support work in this area. The Medical Research Council has also reviewed its future arrangements for research in this area, given the forthcoming retirement of the directors of its two existing units of social psychiatry. As a result, the MRC is establishing a new unit of social psychiatry, and we intend to fund a significant programme of research based at t he new unit. I hope that these collaborative arrangements with the M RC will support research of high scientific quality with benefits for patients and those who care for them.