HC Deb 04 November 1993 vol 231 c453W
Mr. Fisher

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the available evidence about the medical background to repetitive strain injury.

Mr. Sackville

There is no medical consensus on whether repetitive strain injury is a single syndrome or a collection of differing conditions; nor is there general agreement on its cause or treatment.

Mr. Fisher

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what medical research has been conducted by her Department into repetitive strain injury.

Mr. Sackville

The main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC), which receives its grant-in-aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. I understand that the MRC is not currently supporting any research specifically into repetitive strain injury (RSI), but is always willing to consider scientifically based sound proposals for research. The prospects for funding of research into RSI will, therefore, depend on the nature of any applications received.