Budget provides unrivalled opportunity for research
22 March 2006
The Medical Research Council has warmly welcomed the Chancellor’s Budget statement. Professor Colin Blakemore, Chief Executive of the MRC, said Gordon Brown had demonstrated clear support for biomedical research and had recognised its importance to people’s health in Britain and the UK economy with the commitment of at least one billion pounds for the Medical Research Council and NHS R & D:
“The MRC is committed to supporting high-quality research across the entire spectrum of the biomedical and clinical sciences. We are proud of our international reputation for achievement – from the introduction of penicillin and discovery of the structure of DNA, to the development of MRI; from the creation of blockbuster antibody drugs to vital clinical trials, such as those on statins and on vaccines in Africa. Figures published yesterday by the Office of Science and Innovation showed the UK first among G8 countries in the productivity of its biomedical and preclinical research.
“Success in translating basic research into new approaches to treatment and prevention depends on a close, two-way interaction with the NHS, through the Department of Health and the devolved administrations. It also needs partnerships with the health charities, industry and the other research councils. The establishment of a single, jointly-held health research fund will hugely facilitate the translation of research findings into clinical benefits for people in the UK and around the world.
“We look forward to engaging with the government’s consultation process to build the best institutional arrangements to serve the entire community of science, industry and clinical medicine. Britain now has the opportunity to create a mechanism for supporting medical research, training and innovation that is unrivalled anywhere.”
