Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what new nutritional research has been commissioned by the Department of Health since the machinery of government changes in July 2010.

The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has commissioned a range of research since 2010 relating to nutrition through its programmes and research infrastructure. For example, the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, established in 2012, combines key research in understanding nutritional impacts on health with active national and international roles in improving health through policy. It also develops new approaches, and help build clinical skills and standards.

The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including nutrition. These 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. Further information on the NIHR is available on the website at:

http://www.nihr.ac.uk/

The Department’s Policy Research Programme (PRP) commissions high quality, research-based evidence relevant to the full policy remit of the Department. Since 2010 a number of projects related to nutrition have also been commissioned through this programme. This includes a study of the inter-relationship between vitamin D requirements for the United Kingdom population and calcium intake. Details of PRP commissioned projects are available on the website of the PRP Central Commissioning Facility at:

http://www.prp-ccf.org.uk/