§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent annually by his Department on(a) research into the prevention of accidental injuries and (b) public awareness campaigns to prevent accidental injuries in each of the last five years; and what the costs to the NHS were of treating accidental injuries in the same period. [140666]
§ Ms StuartThe main Government agency for health related research is the Medical Research Council (MRC) which receives its funding via the Department for Trade and Industry. The Department of Health funds research to support policy and the delivery of effective practice in the National Health Service. For the last five years the combined funding by these bodies into the prevention of accidental injuries was as follows.
Date £ 1996–97 117,305 1997–98 366,068 1998–99 702,412 1999–2000 682,954 2000–01 146,302 1 Department of Health only Over the last five years the Department has run several campaigns to prevent accidental injuries. Spending in those years when campaigns were run was as follows:
560W
Date £ 1997–98 108,000 1998–99 78,494 1999–2000 1212,530 2000–01 123,000 1 budget The annual cost to the NHS of treating accidental injuries has been estimated at about £1.6 billion each year (Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation 1999).