Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the need to introduce transparency requirements for the funding of nutrition research.

The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including nutrition.

The Department is committed to funding research that has robust ethical oversight and independent governance. The NIHR ensures this by requiring studies, where appropriate, to gain approval from the Health Research Authority, which is responsible for overseeing ethical, governance, and legal aspects of research in England. Studies must also comply with the UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research, which outlines the principles of good practice in the management and conduct of health and social care research in the United Kingdom.