Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding his Department has allocated to research into treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (a) in each of the last and (b) for the next five years.

The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). In the past five financial years, the NIHR has not awarded new programme funding for specific research projects relating to the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). However, the NIHR has supported delivery of 53 studies relating to treatment of DMD via its Clinical Research Network (CRN). The CRN enables high-quality health and care research in England by providing additional staff, facilities, equipment and support services so that research is not subsidised with funding that has been provided for health and care treatments and service.

The NIHR does not usually ring-fence funds for particular topics therefore funding for future years is not available. Awards are made in open competition on the basis of the importance of topics to patients, and heath and care services, value for money, and scientific quality judged through peer review.