§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the incidence of epilepsy(a) amongst those aged (i) under 16 years, (ii) 16 to 60 years, and (iii) over 60 years, and (b) in total in the most recent year for which figures are available. [97470]
§ Mr. HuttonThe information requested is not available in the format requested.
Age Approximate incidence per 100,000 Under 19 60 Between 25 and 29 90 Between 35 and 39 80 Between 45 and 49 60 Between 65 and 69 87 Over 80 159
§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the level of funding targeted by his Department on(a) the treatment of epilepsy and (b) research into epilepsy during 1999. [97469]
§ Mr. HuttonThe information is not available in the format requested.
It is for health authorities and Primary Care Groups to plan and arrange the services available to people in their care. However, complex epilepsy is included in the comprehensive list of specialised services in the Health Service Commissioning in the New National Health Service. This means that regional offices will need to give special consideration to commissioning services for people with complex epilepsy.
The Medical Research Council (MRC) which receives most of its income via grant-in-aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry funds medical research as part of the Government's funding of the science and engineering base. In 1998–99 the MRC spent £3.6 million researching epilepsy. The MRC also fund a considerable amount of basic research in the area, (e.g. on nerve function and damage) which is not included in this figure.