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The National Consumer Council

The Natural Environment Research Council

The Northern Ireland Commissioner for Complaints

The Northern Ireland Parliamentary Commissioner

OFFER

OFGAS

OFTEL

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration

The Police Complaints Authority

The Post Office

The Post Office User's National Committee

Reading Centre for Ombudsman Studies

The Royal Society

The Royal Academy of Engineering

The Science and Engineering Research Council

The Social Fund Commissioner

Society of Local Authority Chief Executives

Building Projects

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what major building projects, valued at over £1 million, are being or have been wholly or partly financed since 1992 in (a) Doncaster, (b) Barnsley, (c) Rotherham and (d) Wakefield by his Department ; and what was the cost of each project to his Department.

Mr. David Davis : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 28 March at column 505.

Appointments

Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what procedures his Departments have to prevent the possible appointment of individuals with extreme political views to posts for which a Minister has to approve the person or shortlist for the appointment ;

(2) what information his Department holds or obtains relating to individuals who have been appointed, or may be considered for appointment, to paid or unpaid posts for which a Minister has to approve the person or shortlist for the appointment, in particular relating to active involvement in (a) extreme left-wing organisations,

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(b) extreme right-wing organisations and (c) involvement in any of the political parties represented in the House of Commons.

Mr. David Davis : My right hon. Friend follows the procedures for the selection of candidates set out in the "Guide on Public Appointments Procedures" copies of which are available in the Library. Details of candidates' political views are not usually held but the appropriate security clearance is obtained where necessary.

Epilepsy

Mr. Parry : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much has been spent by the Medical Research Council on research into the causes of epilepsy ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Waldegrave : In the last financial year, 1992-93, the Medical Research Council spent £336,000 on research concerning epilepsy, the majority of which provided for clinical trials and studies of the physiological basis of epilepsy. The council recognises that epilepsy is an under-researched area, and has advertised that it wishes to encourage high- quality innovative research that may lead to understanding of causation or to clinical advances in the medium term, under its neuroscience approach to human health initiative.

Alzheimer's Disease

Mr. Parry : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the latest studies funded by the Medical Research Council of possible cures for Alzheimer's disease ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Waldegrave : In 1992-93 the Medical Research Council spent £1.5 million on research directly related to Alzheimer's disease, plus £3.4 million on research of relevance to Alzheimer's disease. A list of currently funded projects is attached. The Medical Research Council is always willing to consider soundly based scientific proposals in competition with other applications for research funding.

ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE Projects directly related to Alzheimer's Disease--

MRC Biostatistics Unit

Cambridge

Statistical methods in chronic disease epidemiology.

MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology

Cambridge

The molecular biology of Alzheimer's Disease.

MRC Brain Metabolism Unit

Edinburgh

Neuroendocrine, Neuropharmacological and Neuroimaging studies of dementia.

MRC Cyclotron Unit

London

Use of positron emission tomographic camera to study regional tissue function in neurological disease.

MRC Neurochemical Pathology Unit

Newcastle on Tyne

Neurochemical and neuropathological correlates of dementia. Neurotransmitter interactions and cognition in animals. Trace element accumulation in neurodegenerative disorders. Mechanisms of brain mineral homeostasis.

Peptidases and protein catabolism in neurodegenerative disorders. Gene expression in neurodegenerative disorders.

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Transgenic cell and animal models of cerebral amyloid deposition. MRC Environmental Epidemiology Unit

Southampton

Alzheimer's disease in relation to drinking water (occupational and environmental hazards).

Grants--

Dr. D. Allsop

Biochemistry, Queen's University, Belfast

The metabolism of amyloid precursor protein.

Dr. D. Dawbarn

Medicine, Bristol University

Human neurotrophic factors : characterisation in neurodegenera- tive diseases and expression of recombinant proteins.

Expression and mutagenesis studies with human B-nerve growth factor gene.

Dr. Carol Brayne

Community Medicine, Cambridge University

Monitoring molecular, genetic and biochemical changes in psychiatrically assessed Alzheimer's disease patients.

Dr. C. G. Fairburn

Psychiatry, Cambridge University

A prospective study of behaviour in dementia.

Dr. J. R. Hodges

Neurology, Cambridge University

A longitudinal study of the patterns and consequences of semantic memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease.

Professor E. S. Paykel

Psychiatry, Cambridge University

MRC Multicentre study of cognitive function and ageing.

Dr. J. H. Xuereb

Psychiatry, Cambridge University

Cambridge Brain Bank's contribution to clinical/epidemiological studies of dementia and Alzheimer's disease research.

Multicentre neuropathological study of cognitive function and ageing.

Professor D. J. H. Brock

Medicine, Edinburgh University

Mutation analysis in Alzheimer's disease.

Professor L. J. Whalley

Psychiatry, Edinburgh University

The epidemiology of presenile dementia of the Alzheimer type. (PSDAT) in Scotland (1974-1988).

Professor J. R. M. Copeland

Psychiatry, Liverpool University

MRC Multicentre study of cognitive function and ageing. Multicentre neuropathological study of congitive function and ageing.

MRC alpha study : the natural history of the dementias, cognitive change and other mental disorders and ageing.

Professor B. H. Anderton

Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, London.

The mictrotubule-associated protein, tau : subcellular localisation, control of its metabolism and neurodegeneration.

The abnormal metabolism of Alzheimer amyloid precursor protein and its relationship to neurofibillary pathology.

Modelling of Alzheimer's disease in transgenic mice.

Dr. D. M. Bowen

Neurochemistry, Institute of Neurology, London.

Neuropathological and neurochemical correlates of behavioural change in Alzheimer's disease.

Professor P. L. Lantos

Neuropathology, Institute of Psychiatry, London.

A London Brain Bank for research on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

London Brain Bank for research on neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. A. J. Patel

Biochemistry, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, London

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Involvement of trophic factors produced by glia in plaque biogenesis and neurodegenerative disorders.

Dr. M. Claire Royston

Anatomy, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, London Head injury and ageing ; does it lead to an increased risk of Alzheimer-type degeneration?

Dr. J. A. Hardy

Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, St. Mary's Hospital Medical School, London

Transgenesis as a mechanism to develop animal models of human disease.

Mr. J. Bond

Health Care Research Unit, Newcastle upon Tyne University Mental and physical frailty in elderly people : resource implication to families, health and social services.

Dr. P. Ince

MRC Neurochemical Pathology Unit, Newcastle upon Tyne University Multicentre neuropathological study of cognitive function and ageing.

Professor D. W. K. Kay

Psychiatry, Newcastle upon Tyne University

MRC Multicentre study of cognitive function and ageing.

Professor T. Arie

Health Care of the Elderly, Nottingham University

MRC Multicentre study of cognitive change and ageing.

Dr. J. S. Lowe

Histopathology, Nottingham University

Multicentre neuropathological study of cognitive function and ageing.

Dr. D. M. Bowen

Neuropathology, Oxford University

Neuropathological and neurochemical correlates of behavioural change in Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Margaret M. Esiri

Clinical Neurology, Oxford University

Multicentre neuropathological study of cognitive function and ageing.

Professor J. Grimley Evans

Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Oxford University MRC Multicentre study of cognitive change and ageing.

Dr. C. G. Fairburn

Psychiatry, Oxford University

A prospective study of behaviour in dementia.

Dr. M. Rossor

Neurology, St. Mary's Hospital Medical School, London

Positron emission tomography in familial and sporadic Alzheimer's disease.

Professor R. Williamson

Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, St. Mary's Hospital Medical School, London

Familial dementias and Alzheimer's disease.

Projects relevant to Alzheimer's Disease--

MRC Brain Metabolism Unit

Edinburgh

Study of post translational processing and release of neuropeptides.

Neuroendocirne, neuropharmacological and neuroimaging studies of the major functional psychoses.

Clinical Research Centre

Harrow, Middlesex

Studies of the transmissibility of A-4 amyloidosis in primates. MRC Neurochemical Pathology Unit

Newcastle on Tyne

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