HL Deb 16 January 2002 vol 630 cc159-60WA
The Duke of Montrose

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the provisions of the Human Reproductive Cloning Act 2001 extend to Scotland. [HL2159]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

Yes, the Human Reproductive Cloning Act 2001 applies fully to all the United Kingdom countries, including Scotland.

Lord Marlesford

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their estimate of the total expenditure in the United Kingdom on research into Alzheimer's disease in each of the past 10 years, showing separately expenditure from public funds. [HL2170]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

The main government agency for research into the causes of and treatments for disease is the Medical Research Council (MRC) which receives its funding via the Department of Trade and Industry. The MRC spent approximately £8.2 million on dementia research in 2000–01 which includes Alzheimer's disease.

The Department of Health is supporting research into Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia including work on the effectiveness of Donepezil. Management of much of the research supported by National Health Service Research and Development funding is devolved and expenditure at project level is not held centrally by the department.

Available figures for DH (through the Policy Research Programme and the NHS R&D Programme) and MRC expenditure on Alzheimer's disease/dementia are:

DH MRC
£000s £000s
1994–95 236 3,795
1995–96 225 5,703
1996–97 149 4,780
1997–98 198 5,549
1998–99 287 6,050

The Department of Health does not routinely collect information on research expenditure from charities.

The Department provides NHS support funding for research commissioned by the research councils and charities that take place in the NHS. Details of projects on Alzheimer's disease can be found on the National Research Register which is avialable on the Internet at: http://www.doh.gov.uk/research/nrrhtm.