§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money the Department has given to(a) research into migraine and (b) care for severe migraine sufferers in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement. [34634]
§ Jacqui SmithThe main Government agency for research into the causes of and treatments for disease is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC is not currently funding any research into migraine, and has not funded any research in the past five years. The MRC, however, always welcomes high quality applications for support into any aspect of human health and these are judged in open competition with other demands on funding. Awards are made according to their scientific quality and importance.
The Department funds research to support policy and the delivery of effective practice in the national health service. The Health Technology Assessment Programme is currently supporting a project on "Acupuncture for migraine and headache in primary care: a pragmatic, randomised trial" at a total cost of £161,532. This project started in October 1998 and is due to be completed late in 2002.
Figures on how much is spent by the national health service to treat and care for patients with particular conditions such as migraine are not collected centrally.