§ Mr. CoakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the causes of and treatment for (i) Alzheimer's disease and (ii) other forms of dementia; and what proposals he has to support future research. [50229]
§ Ms JowellThe Department directly funds research covering a whole range of issues relating to mental health. There are two programmes—the policy research programme (PRP), which is designed to underpin the development of health and personal social services policy, and the National Health Service research and development programme, which commissions research in and for the NHS.
The PRP is contributing £1 million to the Medical Research Council Study of Cognitive Function and Ageing. This is a multicentre study to examine dementia, its natural history and risks, including Alzheimer's Disease.
The NHS Executive is supporting, through its regionally led research and development programme, a project on mobility and dementia—"Is physiotherapy during respite care admission effective?"—at a cost of approximately £140,000. Also, West Midlands regional research and development directorate are directly funding a project which is considering the cost and clinical effectiveness of Aricept for treating mild to moderate dementia at a cost of approximately £600,000.