Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to increase funding for research into mental health conditions.

The Departmental National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is the largest funder of mental health research in the United Kingdom. We are increasing year on year spend in mental health research and invested £93 million in 2019/2020. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including mental health. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made based on the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. As is common with other research funders, it is not usual practice for the NIHR to ring-fence a proportion of its budget for research into particular topics or conditions. The following table shows the NIHR’s spend on mental health research in each year from 2015-16. Information for 2020/21 is not yet available.