Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T18:48:50.376Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Origin of the British legislative provision for medical research†

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2009

A. Landsborough Thomson
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

In the United Kingdom, special legislative provision for medical research was first made by the National Insurance Act 1911. On various earlier occasions public funds for the purpose had been provided on a small scale to successive central health departments in England and Wales, sporadically from 1833 and regularly from 1870; and notably to the Royal Commission on Tuberculosis appointed in 1901, which decided to ascertain facts by investigation rather than listen to opinions from witnesses.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Social Policy , Volume 2 , Issue 1 , January 1973 , pp. 41 - 54
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1973

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 1 & 2 Geo. 5, Ch. 55.

2 MacNalty, A. S., The History of State Medicine in England (Fitzpatrick Lectures), passim. London: Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene, 1948.Google Scholar

3 Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the Relations of Human and Animal Tuberculosis, 1904. Interim Report, London (Cd. 2092)Google Scholar. (Final Report, 1911Google Scholar, with Appendices up to 1915.)

4 The Rt Hon. David Lloyd George, MP; later Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor, OM (1863—1945). Chancellor of the Exchequer 1908–15; later Prime Minister.

5 Chick, H., Hume, M., and Macfarlane, M., War on Disease: a History of the Lister Institute, London, 1971, p. 120.Google Scholar

6 Braithwaite, W. J., Lloyd George's Ambulance Wagon, Bunbury, H. N. (ed.), London: Methuen, 1957, p. 157.Google Scholar

Braithwaite, William John, CB (1875–1938)Google Scholar. Lent by Board of Inland Revenue to take charge of drafting National Insurance Bill 1911; Secretary, NHI Joint Committee, 1912, LondonGoogle Scholar. An examination of his papers in the library of the London School of Economics and Political Science has disclosed nothing further. SirBunbury, Henry Noel, KCB (1878–1968)Google Scholar. Accountant and Comptroller-General, National Health Insurance Commission, 1912–13; Commissioner (England), 1913.

7 Hansard, 4 May 1911.Google Scholar

8 The Rt Hon. Christopher Addison, MD, FRCS, MP; later the Viscount Addison, KG (1869–1951). Minister in Charge of Reconstruction, 1917Google Scholar; President Local Government Board, 1919Google Scholar; Minister of Health, 1919–1921Google Scholar; Lord Privy Seal, 1947–51, Lord President, 1951Google Scholar; Chairman, , Medical Research Council, 1948–1951.Google Scholar

9 Honigsbaum, F., The Struggle for the Ministry of Health (Occasional Papers on Social Administration, No. 37), London: Bell, 1971, p. 53.Google Scholar

10 George, D. Lloyd, reported in The Times, 7 February 1914, p. 10Google Scholar. (Also papers in Public Records Office under T 171 51.)

11 Addison, C., pamphlet, The Health of the People, London, 1914.Google Scholar

12 F. Honigsbaum, personal communication; the writer is indebted for permission to quote, here and later.

13 Addison, C., Politics from Within,1911–1918, London: Herbert Jenkins, 1924, vol. 1, p. 20.Google Scholar

14 1957. op. cit.

15 Shock, M., 1971Google Scholar. Addison, , Christopher, First Viscount Addison (1869–1951)Google Scholar. Dictionary of National Biography, 1951–1960, Oxford: OUP, 1971.Google Scholar

16 Personal communication.

17 SirHimsworth, Harold P., KCB, MD, FRCP, FRS (b. 1905)Google Scholar. Secretary, Medical Research Council, 1949–68, and Deputy Chairman 1967–8.

18 Personal communication.

19 Ibid.

20 SirMorant, Robert Laurie, KCB (1863–1920)Google Scholar. Permanent Secretary, Board of Education, 1903–11; Chairman, National Health Insurance Commission, 1917–1919Google Scholar; Secretary, Ministry of Health, 1919–1920.Google Scholar

21 Gilbert, B. B., The Evolution of National Insurance in Great Britain: The Origins of the Welfare State, London: Michael Joseph, 1966, p. 339n.Google Scholar

22 Minney, R. J., Viscount Addison, Leader of the Lords, London: Odhams, 1958.Google Scholar

23 Frazer, W. M., A History of English Public Health, 1839–1939, London: Bailliere, Tindall and Cox, 1950.Google Scholar

24 Allen, B. M., Sir Robert Morant: a great public servant, London: Macmillan, 1934.Google Scholar

25 Salter, Lord, Memoirs of a Public Servant, London: Faber, 1961, p. 57.Google Scholar

Salter, James Arthur, GBE, KCB (b. 1881)Google Scholar. Assistant Secretary, National Health Insurance Commission, from 1913; and many subsequent official and political appointments.

26 Markham, V., Friendship's Harvest, London: Reinhardt, 1956, pp. 167–207passim.Google Scholar

27 Op. cit.

28 Bruce, M., The Coming of the Welfare State, London: Batsford, 1968 (4th ed.), pp. 152, 217.Google Scholar

29 Harris, R. W., Not so Humdrum, London: John Lane, The Bodley Head, 1939, p. 160.Google Scholar

30 Newman, G. et al. , Contributions to obituary notice of Sir Robert Morant, British Medical Journal, 1920, 1, 419–21.Google Scholar

SirNewman, George, GBE, KCB, MD, FRCP (1870–1948)Google Scholar. Chief Medical Officer, Board of Education, 1907–1935Google Scholar; Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health, 1919–1935.Google Scholar

31 SirFletcher, Walter M., KBE, CB, MD, ScD, FRS (1873–1933)Google Scholar. Secretary, Medical Research Committee, 1914–20, and Medical Research Council, 1920–1933.Google Scholar

32 Selby-Bigge, L. A., 1927Google Scholar. SirMorant, Robert Laurie (1863–1920)Google Scholar. Dictionary of National Biography, 1912–1921, London: OUP, 1927.Google Scholar

33 Newman, G., The Building of the Notion's Health, London: Macmillan, 1939, pp. 463–4, 411–13.Google Scholar

34 Gilbert, B. B., 1971. Personal communicationGoogle Scholar; the writer is indebted for permission to quote, here and later.

35 See fn. 30.

35 G. Newman, personal diary, deposited in the library of the Department of Health and Social Security, London.

37 1971, op. cit.

38 Op. cit.

39 Op. cit.

40 SirWillis, Frederick James, KBE, CB (1863–1946)Google Scholar. Secretary, and then member, Departmental Committee on Tuberculosis 1912–13; later Chairman, Board of Control.

41 SirBradbury, John Swanwick; later Lord Bradbury, GCB (1872–1950)Google Scholar. National Health Insurance Commissioner, 1911–1913Google Scholar; Joint Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury, 1913–1919.Google Scholar

42 SirNewsholme, Arthur, KCB, MD, FRCP (1857–1943)Google Scholar, Principal Medical Officer, Local Government Board, 1908–19.

43 Personal communication.

44 Newsholme, A., The Last Thirty Years of Public Health, London: Allen and Unwin, 1936, pp. 120–1.Google Scholar

45 SirDale, Henry Hallett, OM, GBE, MD, FRCP, FRS (1875–1968)Google Scholar, departmental director in National Institute for Medical Research (MRC) from 1914, Director of the Institute 1928–42. Typescript memorandum quoted by Feldberg, W., in letter to The Times, 28 December 1971.Google Scholar

46 Departmental Committee on Tuberculosis, , 1913.Google ScholarFinal Report, vols. I and 11 (Appendix). HMSO (Cd. 6641 and 6654). (Interim Report, 1912, Cd. 6164.)Google Scholar

47 The Rt Hon. Balfour, Arthur James, MP; later the Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, FRS (1848–1930). Prime Minister, 1902–1905Google Scholar; Lord President, 1919–1922, 1925–9Google Scholar; Chairman, , Medical Research Council, 1924–1929.Google Scholar

48 The Rt Hon. Haldane, Richard Burdon, Viscount Haldane of Cloan, KT, OM, FRS (1856–1924)Google Scholar. Secretary of State for War, 1906–12; Lord High Chancellor, 1912–1915 and 1924Google Scholar; Chairman, , Machinery of Government Committee, 1917–1918.Google Scholar

49 Hansard, 14 December 1911.Google Scholar

50 Op. cit.

51 Hansard, 6 July 1911.Google Scholar

52 National Health Insurance Commissioners, 1914Google Scholar. Report for 191–1914 on the Administration of National Health Insurance, HMSO (Cd. 7496) (para. 59).

53 See fn. 46.

54 The Hon. Astor, Waldorf, MP; later the Viscount Astor (1879–1952)Google Scholar. Chairman, , Departmental Committee on Tuberculosis, 1912–1913Google Scholar; Chairman, , Medical Research Committee, 1916–1920.Google Scholar

55 Op. cit.

56 SirBrock, Laurence George, CB (1879–1949)Google Scholar. Assistant Secretary, National Health Insurance Commission, from 1912, Acting Secretary 1917–18; Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Health, from 1919; later Chairman, Board of Control.

57 3 & 4 Geo. 5, Ch. 37.

58 Ministry of Reconstruction, 1918, Report of the Machinery of Government Committee, HMSO (Cd. 9230).

59 See fn. 48.

60 MrsWebb, Sidney, neée Beatrice Potter (1858–1943)Google Scholar. Political economist.

61 Op. cit.

62 9 & 10 Geo. 5, Ch. 21.

63 Local Government Board, 1919Google Scholar, Memorandum on the provisions of the Ministry of Health Bill, 1919, as to the work of the Medical Research Committee, HMSO (Cmd. 69).

64 Subsequent Orders modified some details of the constitution; the composition of the Committee of Privy Council was altered more than once to meet changes in ministerial functions, and in 1959 a Minister for Science replaced the Lord President as Chairman. A short Supplemental Charter was approved in 1949. Minor amendments to the Charter were allowed by instruments of a lower category – Orders of the Committee of Privy Council for Medical Research. A new Charter was granted in 1966 and was amended in 1971 in two respects.

Subsequent legislation: Section 16(1) of the National Health Service Act 1946 (9 & 10 Geo. 6, Ch. 81) empowered the Minister of Health to conduct research or assist others to do so; and Section 16(2) empowered hospital boards and management committees to conduct research. (The Minister already had a statutory duty in this regard under Section 2 of the Ministry of Health Act 1919.) A reservation was included in Section 16(1) that the power was given ‘without prejudice to…the duties imposed on the Committee of the Privy Council for Medical Research’; the point having been made, it was not thought necessary to have a like reservation included in the equivalent National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1947 (10 & 11 Geo. 6, Ch. 27). The Science and Technology Act 1965 (Elizabeth, 2, 1965, Ch. 4)Google Scholar transferred the functions of the Committee of Privy Council for Medical Research to the Secretary of State for Education and Science. Responsibilities of a technical nature have been placed on the Medical Research Council by a number of statutes: Therapeutic Substances Act 1925 (15 & 16 Geo. 5, Ch. 60); London Gas Undertakings (Regulations) Act 1939 (2 & 3 Geo. 6, Ch. 99); Penicillin Act 1947 (10 & 11 Geo. 6, Ch. 29); Therapeutic Substances (Prevention of Misuse) Act 1953 (1 & 2 Eliz. 2, Ch. 32); Therapeutic Substances Act 1956 (4 & 5 Eliz. 2, Ch. 25) – a consolidating measure, repealing the Acts of 1925, 1947, 1953 and another; Public Health Laboratory Service Act 1960 (8 & 9 Eliz. 2, Ch. 49); Radiological Protection Act 1970 (Elizabeth, 2, 1970, Ch. 46).Google Scholar