Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding his Department has provided for research into nutrition in the last 12 months; and whether he has had recent discussions with UK Research and Innovation on nutrition research.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ministers and official meet regularly with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) on a range of issues. UKRI funds a broad range of high-quality research relating to nutrition, spanning different research councils.
During the last 5 years UKRI has spent £251 million on nutrition research, with £65 million spent during the most recent financial year for which full data is available (2023-24).
In addition to this, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) funds research, including on nutrition, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
NIHR spent £11.8 million on nutrition research in the last year and £23.3 million in the last 5 years across a broad spectrum of areas related to nutrition to inform Government policy to improve patient care and help people stay well for longer.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding the Government has provided for nutrition research in each of the last five years.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ministers and official meet regularly with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) on a range of issues. UKRI funds a broad range of high-quality research relating to nutrition, spanning different research councils.
During the last 5 years UKRI has spent £251 million on nutrition research, with £65 million spent during the most recent financial year for which full data is available (2023-24).
In addition to this, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) funds research, including on nutrition, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
NIHR spent £11.8 million on nutrition research in the last year and £23.3 million in the last 5 years across a broad spectrum of areas related to nutrition to inform Government policy to improve patient care and help people stay well for longer.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has had recent discussions with the Information Commissioner’s Office on the adequacy of the guidance provided on their website for (a) identifying and (b) reporting breaches of data protection law related to personal health data.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The UK’s data protection legislation requires all organisations to process personal data lawfully, fairly, transparently and securely. There are stricter conditions and safeguards in relation to processing of personal data relating to people’s health.
The Data Protection and Digital Information (no. 2) Bill does not remove or amend these foundational principles. Instead, it builds on the existing elements of the legislation to make it more ambitious and innovation-friendly, while still underpinned by secure and trustworthy data standards.
The ICO already has published guidance for organisations on the use of special category data, but it has recently been made aware of concerns linked to the inappropriate sharing of personal health data, including the HIV status of individuals. It is currently engaging with the organisations involved to understand these issues further. It has indicated that it will take the necessary steps to ensure that it supports and advises relevant organisations about sharing sensitive information, and that it is clear in its guidance about identifying and reporting breaches linked to health data.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if the Information Commissioner’s Office will publish guidance for (a) employers, (b) health and social care settings and (c) police forces on sharing data about a person's HIV status.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The UK’s data protection legislation requires all organisations to process personal data lawfully, fairly, transparently and securely. There are stricter conditions and safeguards in relation to processing of personal data relating to people’s health.
The Data Protection and Digital Information (no. 2) Bill does not remove or amend these foundational principles. Instead, it builds on the existing elements of the legislation to make it more ambitious and innovation-friendly, while still underpinned by secure and trustworthy data standards.
The ICO already has published guidance for organisations on the use of special category data, but it has recently been made aware of concerns linked to the inappropriate sharing of personal health data, including the HIV status of individuals. It is currently engaging with the organisations involved to understand these issues further. It has indicated that it will take the necessary steps to ensure that it supports and advises relevant organisations about sharing sensitive information, and that it is clear in its guidance about identifying and reporting breaches linked to health data.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Data Protection and Digital Information (No.2) Bill on people living with HIV.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The UK’s data protection legislation requires all organisations to process personal data lawfully, fairly, transparently and securely. There are stricter conditions and safeguards in relation to processing of personal data relating to people’s health.
The Data Protection and Digital Information (no. 2) Bill does not remove or amend these foundational principles. Instead, it builds on the existing elements of the legislation to make it more ambitious and innovation-friendly, while still underpinned by secure and trustworthy data standards.
The ICO already has published guidance for organisations on the use of special category data, but it has recently been made aware of concerns linked to the inappropriate sharing of personal health data, including the HIV status of individuals. It is currently engaging with the organisations involved to understand these issues further. It has indicated that it will take the necessary steps to ensure that it supports and advises relevant organisations about sharing sensitive information, and that it is clear in its guidance about identifying and reporting breaches linked to health data.