To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding was made available by his Department for allergy research in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. (241766)

[holding answer 9 December 2008]: The available information is shown in the following table.

The departmental figures relate to national research programme expenditure. They do not include the significant expenditure on allergy research from the research and development allocations that have over the last 10 years been made annually to national health service providers. That information is not held centrally.

The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government support biomedical research. The MRC is an independent body funded by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. It funds a large portfolio of allergy research.