§ Mr. HunterTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of recent research into the measles virus and the spinal fluid of autistic children; if he will commission further research into this issue; and if he will make a statement. [72183]
§ Ms BlearsAll scientists who feel they have some important research findings should publish their work in a peer-review journal and subject it to scrutiny by fellow scientists. The Government are not aware that this study has been published and therefore are unable to make any assessment or commission any further research.
§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on research into autism since 1997; and what plans he has to increase money into research. [72532]
§ Jacqui SmithThe Medical Research Council (MRC) (which is a non-departmental public body which receives its grant-in-aid from the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Technology) is the main public sector body which funds research into autism. The MRC spend on autism since 1997 has been:
1997–98 £905,000 1998–99 £1,041,000 1999–2000 £1,114,000 2000–01 £1,182,000 2001–02 £1,372,000 I announced on 14 February the allocation of a further £2.5 million to the MRC for autism research. This will complement and add to the MRC's current support for research in this field. The MRC welcomes high quality applications for support in any scientific area which will further our understanding of autism, and especially those areas which were highlighted in their review.
§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money was spent in the NHS on the treatment of autism in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what plans he has to increase the level of services available. [72531]
§ Jacqui SmithNational Health Service expenditure on the treatment of autism is not separately identified. Our increased investment in health, education and personal social services in England will benefit people with autism. It is for health authorities, in partnership with primary care trusts and other local stakeholders, to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services.
§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assistance his Department has given to(a) the Scottish Society for Autism and (b) other organisations helping people with autism in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [72533]
§ Jacqui SmithUnder the Section 64 General Scheme of Grants to Voluntary Organisations, the Department issues funds to further its objectives in the health and social care fields in England. We have not funded the346W Scottish Society for Autism. Three national autistic society projects have received funding in the last 12 months:
Project Amount Independence and Autism: Good £49,000 Practice for Service Providers Help—Parental Training £46.000 Asperger's Syndrome Project £40.000
§ Mr. HunterTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of recent research into the impact on autistic children of a second dose of MMR. [72184]
§ Ms BlearsWe are not aware of any systematic study looking at whether a second dose of MMR has an impact on the rate of autism in children. However, in a recent paper by Farrington et al (2001) (full reference below) they looked at regression in children with autism and found no relationship to either the first or second dose of MMR. This paper was published in a peer review journal.
Full reference—Farrington CP, Miller E. and Taylor B. MMR. and autism: further evidence against a causal association. Vaccine 19 (2001) 3632–3635. A copy has been placed in the Library.