§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what criteria are used by the Medical Research Council to determine future research priorities; and if he will make a statement. [17513]
§ Mr. Ian TaylorThe Medical Research Council has a broad remit across all areas of research relevant to maintaining and improving human health. The following broad criteria underpin its strategy for determining priorities; degree of scientific opportunity; such as the scope for high-quality, productive research; the needs of society, including opportunity for improving quality of life and for wealth creation; and the need to maintain a14W reasonable balance of activity across key areas of MRC's remit, to co-ordinate with other funders and users and to promote interdisciplinarity and integration between basic and clinical research.