§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent research his Department has conducted into the causes and significance of asthma; [59562]
(2) how much funding his Department has allocated to charities and industry for research into the causes and curing of asthma. [59563]
§ Jacqui SmithThe 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 an estimated £12.2 million in 1999–2000 on research into asthma and respiratory disorders.
The Department is funding a programme of research on the public health aspects of asthma, aimed at providing a clearer scientific understanding of the causes of asthma and hence how it might be prevented. The Department is also funding a programme of research on asthma management and a range of other research in relation to the treatment of, and services for, people with asthma.
Details of projects referred to above and other projects supported through the National Health Service research and development levy can be found on the national research register (NRR) at: www.doh.gov.uk/ 692W research.nrr/htm. The NRR contains many details of projects/trials funded by the research councils and other funders.
The Department does not allocate funds directly to charities and industry for research. The Department funds research to support policy and the delivery of effective practice in the National Health Service. Research funds are provided to research contractor on the basis of individual proposals. The Department also provides support to NHS trusts to allow work funded by others such as the research councils, charities and other funders to be conducted within the NHS.