Written question asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Drayson (Labour) on Monday, 20 April 2009.

Embryology

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 23 March (WA 92), and following the oral evidence of the previous chief executive of the MedicalResearch Council to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee on 5 February 2007 (HC 272-ll, Q249), what criteria are employed to determine the proportion of funding spent on research described by the former chief executive as having a "virtually zero success rate"; and how that compares to the proportion of public funding towards alternative medicine.

Answer: The Medical Research Council (MRC) does not employ criteria to determine the proportion of funding spent on different fields of stem cell research but supports competitive science which has the potential to move the field forward and to harness the potential of stem cells to treat human disease. The MRC is not currently supporting any research relating to alternative medicine.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 2490; 709 c328-9WA
Session: 2008-09
Related items: Embryology
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
Written questions
House of Lords; Embryology
Monday, 23 March 2009
Written questions
House of Lords
Subjects: Complementary medicine Finance Research Stem cells Medical Research Council
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk