Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department's policy is on how the £50 million for targeted motor neurone disease research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Motor Neurone Disease Research Unit can be accessed.

The Government delivers research on motor neurone disease (MND) through the Department of Health and Social Care, via the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and through the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The Government has committed to make £50 million available for MND research over the next five years through NIHR and UKRI. The Government has also committed to establish an NIHR MND research unit to coordinate innovative research applications. The NIHR and UKRI rely on researchers submitting high-quality applications to access funding. All applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.