§ Mr. David AtkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what research is being undertaken into the causes, treatment and cure for bulimia and anorexia nervosa.
§ Mr. David DavisI have been asked to reply.
The Medical Research Council (MRC), which receives its grant-in-aid from the Office of Science and Technology, is currently supporting a research project into eating disorders by the department of clinical pharmacology at Oxford university. In addition, the MRC recently funded a controlled trial of psychological treatment of adolescent anorexia nervosa, based at the Institute of Psychiatry, London, and a study of the outcome of bulimia nervosa, at the university of Oxford. The MRC is also supporting a considerable amount of basic research which may have some relevance to bulimia and anorexia nervosa, and the council is always willing to consider scientifically sound proposals for research in competition with other applications. No information is held centrally on other relevant work which the universities' medical schools or medical research charities may be supporting.