§ Mr. HunterTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) which medical research units working on the causes and treatment of multiple sclerosis are currently receiving public funds;
(2) if he will make a statement on progress being made by Government-funded research programmes into the causes and treatment of multiple sclerosis;
(3) how much public money each year since 1979 has been devoted to research into the causes and treatment of multiple sclerosis.
§ Mr. Alan HowarthThe main Government agency for funding medical research is the Medical Research Council which receives its grant-in-aid from the Department. It is an independent body which normally decides its research776W priorities on its own expert judgment. I understand that in 1989–90 (the latest year for which details are available) it supported work directly relevant to multiple sclerosis at two units in Oxford. It is also funding a range of research into normal and disordered functions which is of potential relevance. The council continually reviews all its research areas to ensure that progress is satisfactory and that resources are best deployed.
Research on multiple sclerosis is undertaken by charities, and may also be undertaken by university departments and medical schools with support from the University Funding Council, and by health departments and authorities. Figures are not available for total expenditure from public funds on multiple sclerosis research since 1979, but the MRC's expenditure on directly relevant research is:
Financial year £000s 1979–80 656 1980–81 747 1981–82 826 1982–83 501 1983–84 485 1984–85 446 1985–86 403 1986–87 404 1987–88 297 1988–89 216 1989–90 180 The MRC is always willing to consider funding for soundly based research proposals in competition with other applications.