§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the latest available figures for(a) the comparative levels of spending on medical research and general medical and clinical services on the National Health Service, and (b) the percentage of spending on medical research by the Medical Research Council and the National Health Service and the percentage change in these figures since 1980–81.
§ Mrs. Currie[holding answer 4 May 1988]: (a) In 1986–87, the latest year for which the figures are available, the total expenditure on medical research programmes funded by the Department of Health and Social Security, including the National Health Service locally organised research scheme amounted to £51.8 million. Total spending on general medical and clinical services in the same year amounted to £10,317.2 million.
(b) The table shows the information available.
43WThe Medical Research Council receives its grant-in-aid from the Department of Education and Science.
§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the latest available figure for the number of individual research programmes and projects supported by the Medical Research Council and National Health Service; and what is the percentage change since 1980–81.
§ Mrs. Currie[holding answer 4 May 1988]: In January 1987, the latest date for which an estimate is available, approximately 850 research projects were being supported under the NHS locally organised research scheme. A comparable figure is not available for 1980–81.
I understand that information about the number of individual research programmes and projects supported by the Medical Research Council, which is funded by grant-in-aid from the Department of Education and Science, is included in the council's annual reports, copies of which are available in the Library.