§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money the Government have put into cot death research in the last 20 years.
§ Mr. Alan HowarthI have been asked to reply.
The Medical Research Council, which receives its grant in aid through the Department of Education and Science, is the main Government agency for the funding of medical research. The MRC generally decides the research to support with the funds available to it. The table gives its expenditure on research into sudden infant death syndrome and respiratory distress syndrome for the financial years since 1979–80. Data on earlier years are not available, nor is there central information on relevant publicly funded research which may be undertaken by medical schools, university departments, the health Departments and the health authorities. We also welcome the contribution made in this field by medical research charities.
£ thousands 1979–80 79 1980–81 134 1981–82 208 1982–83 207 1983–84 244 1984–85 242 1985–86 283 1986–87 476 1987–88 405 1988–89 434 1989–90 297 1990–91 798