§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department has(a) funded and (b) evaluated into the transmission of damage caused by Thalidomide across generations. [23512]
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§ Mr. MaloneThe main agency through which the Government support medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council, which receives its grant in aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. However, the Department has set up an advisory group on research into congenital limb reduction defects and a report was published in February this year recommending that a review of relevant research be carried out. The Government have also established a sub-group of the inter-departmental group on disability to focus on the delivery of health and other services. The group's report will reflect concerns of the Thalidomide action group, the trust and the society.
A number of initiatives are being taken forward by the Government, including providing more detailed knowledge for the medical profession on the longer-term effects of disability caused by Thalidomide.