. >> russell brown. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the director of parkinson's u.k. has been on the bbc this morning discussing the start of a clinical study in oxford using skin cells. i think all of us in this house want to see ongoing research into finding answers to degenerative conditions like parkinson's and alzheimer's. will the prime minister give appear assurance to the house that despite the global economic conditions this government will not cut back on its funding for medical research? >> well, no one wants to see reductions in those programs. they're very important but like everything else, there is a comprehensive spending review. it's no good honorable members opposite making this point. whoever was standing here right now would have to look at public spending programs and make sense of them and i have to say -- i have to say that maybe they should listen to the speech that the trade industry shadow minister is going to make this afternoon where he's going to say fighting the cuts is a tempting slogan in opposition but if that is all we're saying the c