Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost to the public purse was of Government investment into kidney disease research in 2025-26; and which public bodies provided that investment.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In terms of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), research is funded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Other research is funded by the Department of Business, Innovation, Science and Trade.

In 2025/26, through the NIHR, the DHSC committed £14.6 million for new research projects alongside supporting infrastructure, including understanding genetic risk, improving scans and diagnosis, testing treatments, monitoring patients in primary care, and supporting people after they leave hospital.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what the cost to the public purse was of Government investment into kidney disease research in 2025-26; and which public bodies provided that investment.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

This Department funds medical research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC) funds research into the detection, prevention, treatment and underpinning biology of kidney disease.

In financial year 2025–26, the MRC awarded £12.9 million for new research directly focused on kidney disease.

This response only covers MRC funded research. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) funds medical research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). DHSC will separately provide an answer to UIN 34276 to cover NIHR funded research.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department made an assessment, as part of its decision to remove time restrictions on the use of disabled persons’ concessionary bus passes from 1 April 2027, of the potential merits of extending the statutory concession to (a) local rail, (b) light rail, (c) tram and (d) metro services; and whether she has made an estimate of the cost of such an extension.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government has not formally assessed the merits or cost of extending the statutory concession to local rail, light rail, tram or metro services as part of the decision to remove the existing off-peak time restrictions on disabled persons’ bus passes from 1 April 2027.

The Government's decision relates specifically to the statutory entitlement under the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS), which provides free bus travel for eligible older and disabled people in England. Local authorities in England have the power to go beyond their statutory obligations under ENCTS and offer additional discretionary concessions, including on other modes of transport. Decisions on such discretionary concessions are a matter for individual local authorities, taking account of local needs and priorities.

West Northamptonshire Council will be allocated £18 million under the LABG from 2026/27 to 2028/29.

Found: the Natural History Museum (NHM) and the NHM_Unlocked Programme Board, under the oversight of Stuart Andrew