HL Deb 15 October 1998 vol 593 cc124-6WA
Lord Clement-Jones

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What proportion of directly or indirectly government funded research into myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) has used the "Oxford", or the Centre for Diseases Control criteria, as opposed to the "Dowsett", or "London", criteria to define the condition. [HL3388]

Baroness Hayman

The Government fund health and medical research in a number of ways:

The Department of Health funds a range of research and development to support its work on policy development and evaluation in health and social care. The department also manages the National Health Service Research and Development Levy, which is used both to support R&D of relevance to the NHS both in NHS hospitals, general practice and other health care settings, and to fund the NHS R&D Programme. In addition, the MRC (Medical Research Council—which receives most of its income via grant-in-aid from the Office of Science and Technology in the Department for Trade and Industry) funds medical research as part of the Government's funding of the research base.

Information is not currently held centrally on all projects funded through the NHS R&D Levy, but the NHS R&D Programme has been funding a research project entitled "Should GPs manage chronic fatigue syndrome? A controlled trial", which has now reported. This project used the "Oxford" or Centre for Diseases Control criteria. Further work is about to be commissioned on the topic of Management Strategies for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The research methods and definitions to be used have not yet been agreed.

The MRC is funding one study in relation to myalgic encephalomyelitis which is about to be completed. The work is being undertaken at the University of Manchester and the project is entitled "The role of noradrenaline in the neuropsychological pathogenesis of the chronic fatigue syndrome". This project also used the "Oxford" or Centre for Diseases Control criteria.

Lord Clement-Jones

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Hayman on 3 September (WA 27), why the Department of Health is not contemplating further research into myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) in the light of the 1994 report of the Task Force (which received 83 per cent. of its funding from the Department of Health), which called for research to "clarify the differences between the various chronic fatigue syndromes". [HL3389]

Baroness Hayman

Priorities for funding research in the department are set very carefully, based on the burden of disease and other criteria. Bids for conducting research into chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)/myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) are therefore always considered on that basis. The department continues to fund research into the management and treatment of CFS/ME through the National Health Service Research and Development Programme.