§ Ms. PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the progress of research into a vaccine for cervical cancer; and what funds are being made available by his Department for such research.
§ Mr. DorrellThe main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research in the United Kingdom is the Medical Research Council (MRC) which receives its grant-in-aid from the Department of Education and Science. I understand that no research into this subject is currently being undertaken by the MRC.
The Department's view is that although some strains of human papilloma virus, against which such a vaccine would be used, may pre-dispose to the development of cervical cancer, there is no absolute proof that it does.
It is not normal practice to contemplate developing a vaccine unless there is clear proof that the infectious agent against which the vaccine is directed has been proved to cause the condition under consideration.