Written question asked by David Amess (Conservative) on Tuesday, 18 April 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 20 April 2006. It was answered by Jane Kennedy (Labour) on Thursday, 27 April 2006 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Infant Pain

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what research her Department has conducted into experience of pain in premature babies; and if she will make a statement;

Answer: The main agency through which the Government support medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC is an independent body funded by the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Innovation.The MRC has provided long-term grant support to Professor Maria Fitzgerald of University College, London for her work on infant and paediatric pain. Her current, £1 million award, is for research into infant pain mechanisms that aims to provide the fundamental knowledge required to understand and prevent paediatric pain.Further details are available on the WellChild Pain Research Centre website at: www.wprc.ucl.ac.uk/

Secondary information