To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been allocated by her Department for research into (a) epidemiology, (b) aetiology and (c) the prevention of cerebral palsy in each of the last five years.

A research project into the epidemiology of cerebral palsy was carried out at the departmentally funded health care research centre between 1989 and 1991. Exact expenditure on the project is unavailable, but the total allocation made by the Department to the centre was £48,090 in 1989–90 and £35,011 in 1990–91.Departmental allocation for other research into the epidemiology of cerebral palsy in later years were:

Year	£
1990–91	15,200
1991–92	23,917
1992–93	17,083

The Department has allocated no money for research into the aetiology and prevention of cerebral palsy. The main agency through which the Government support research is the Medical Research Council which receives its grant-in-aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The Department has recently commissioned a research project into the treatment of cerebral palsy at a total cost of £71,335. This project began in December 1992 and will continue until November 1994.