Found: Transformation Fund and the transfer of research and development activity for programmes previously managed by UK

Found: Transformation Fund and the transfer of research and development activity for programmes previously managed by UK

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much research funding the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Medical Research Council have invested in biomedical studies of the causes and treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and non-biomedical studies of ME since 2019.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Since 2019, the NIHR has awarded £1.9 million for research into myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. The Medical Research Council (MRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), has invested £3.6 million since 2019.

This funding includes the NIHR and UKRI co-funded DecodeME study, a £3.2 million study into the genetic underpinning of ME. The study will analyse samples from 25,000 people with ME, to search for genetic differences that may indicate underlying causes or an increased risk of developing the condition. This study aims to increase our understanding of the disease, and therefore contribute to the research base on diagnostic tests and targeted treatments for ME.

In 2020, the NIHR, the Chief Scientist Office in Scotland, and the MRC also funded the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership for ME, facilitated by the charity Action for ME. The report sets out the top 10 research priorities for ME. These recommendations have been co-produced through a process led by a steering group of people living with ME, carers, and clinicians.

In the interim delivery plan on ME, the Department recognised that there has been a relatively low amount of biomedical research funded on ME, compared with disease burden. The NIHR and MRC welcome applications for further biomedical research into ME. 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. In all disease areas, the amount of funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made on the funding of biomedical research into myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) since the then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health and Social Care stated on 24 January 2019 that “there have not been good enough research proposals in the ME space, partly because of the stigma … and partly because of the division in the medical community”.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Since 2019, the NIHR has awarded £1.9 million for research into myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. The Medical Research Council (MRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), has invested £3.6 million since 2019.

This funding includes the NIHR and UKRI co-funded DecodeME study, a £3.2 million study into the genetic underpinning of ME. The study will analyse samples from 25,000 people with ME, to search for genetic differences that may indicate underlying causes or an increased risk of developing the condition. This study aims to increase our understanding of the disease, and therefore contribute to the research base on diagnostic tests and targeted treatments for ME.

In 2020, the NIHR, the Chief Scientist Office in Scotland, and the MRC also funded the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership for ME, facilitated by the charity Action for ME. The report sets out the top 10 research priorities for ME. These recommendations have been co-produced through a process led by a steering group of people living with ME, carers, and clinicians.

In the interim delivery plan on ME, the Department recognised that there has been a relatively low amount of biomedical research funded on ME, compared with disease burden. The NIHR and MRC welcome applications for further biomedical research into ME. 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. In all disease areas, the amount of funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what support, if any, they will provide to Anglia Ruskin University in their ambition to establish a Global Innovation Centre for Energy Transition in Peterborough.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government runs a significant range of research and innovation programmes to support the transition of the energy system. This includes through UK Research and Innovation, the UK’s agency investing in science and research and interested parties such as Anglia Ruskin University are welcome to apply for these as opportunities arise. More information can be found on UKRI’s online Funding Finder Tool, where all funding opportunities are published (https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/).

In addition, recent investments are set out in the Government’s UK Net Zero Research and Innovation Delivery Plan 2022-2025.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how she plans to promote research into new models of (a) assessment and (b) support.

Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The government’s November 2023 ‘Response to the Independent Review of the RDI Organisational Landscape’ announced the creation of a new Metascience Unit, jointly run across the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), with an initial funding commitment of £10m. The unit will deliver a competitive grants programme and will also conduct experiments to test and robustly evaluate the effectiveness of changes in the funding processes delivered by UKRI.

This programme of work is intended to generate evidence on more effective ways of funding and supporting scientific research.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Medical Research Council, and the UK Research and Innovation work together collaboratively to ensure progress on funding brain tumour research.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £121.8 million in 2022/23, and the NIHR spends more on cancer than any other disease group.

In May 2018 the Government announced £40 million for brain tumour research as part of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission, through the NIHR. Since this announcement, the NIHR has committed £11.3 million across 17 projects, with the Medical Research Council (MRC) awarding £10.4 million. There is still funding available from the original £40 million, and we expect to spend more as new research progresses.

The Department is taking steps to ensure that funders work closely together to coordinate work along the translational pathway, from the discovery and early translational science typically supported by the MRC, feeding through to the applied health and care research funded by the NIHR. These steps include convening a brain cancer research roundtable in May 2024, to bring together research experts and funders, to determine how to accelerate research efforts in this area.

As an example of coordination, the Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme is a partnership between the MRC and the NIHR, supporting research in the mechanisms of diseases, and treatments which have the potential to make a step-change in the promotion of health, treatment of disease, and improvement of rehabilitation or long-term care. The EME’s portfolio includes a £1.5 million clinical trial testing the effectiveness of a targeted form of proton beam radiotherapy for a type of brain cancer called oligodendroglioma. The NIHR also coordinates with the MRC to complement their investments, such as a £2 million investment supporting researchers to understand and treat cancers with exceptionally poor survival rates, including cancer of the brain, lung, and oesophagus.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the adverse disparity in survival rates for brain tumour patients compared to other cancers whose treatment attracts greater levels of funding.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department invests over £1 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR’s research expenditure for all cancers was £121.8 million in 2022/23. The NIHR spends more on cancer than any other disease group.

In May 2018 the Government announced £40 million for brain tumour research as part of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission through the NIHR. Brain tumours are a difficult research area with a relatively small research community, so we are taking actions to grow the field, such as workshops for researchers, and research training for clinicians. In addition to research programme spend on projects, NIHR research infrastructure supports brain tumour research studies, mainly in the National Health Service. Between 2018 and 2022, UK Research and Innovation, including the Medical Research Council, awarded £23.2 million in brain tumour research funding.

The Government is committed to improving the survival rates for all cancers. The latest publicly available figures showed improved survival rates across almost all types of cancer, including brain cancer, since 2010. Early diagnosis is key to improving survival rates, and the Department is working towards the NHS Long Term Plan ambition of diagnosing 75% of stageable cancers at stage 1 and 2 by 2028.

The Government is working jointly with NHS England on implementing the delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlogs in elective care, and plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25 to help drive up and protect elective activity, including cancer diagnosis and treatment activity.  Over 340,000 people received their first cancer treatment in the 12 months to January 2024.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will review spending on (1) gliomas, and (2) astrocytoma cancer, to account for any increase in incidences.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department invests over £1 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR’s research expenditure for all cancers was £121.8 million in 2022/23. The NIHR spends more on cancer than any other disease group.

In May 2018 the Government announced £40 million for brain tumour research as part of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission through the NIHR. Brain tumours are a difficult research area with a relatively small research community, so we are taking actions to grow the field, such as workshops for researchers, and research training for clinicians. In addition to research programme spend on projects, NIHR research infrastructure supports brain tumour research studies, mainly in the National Health Service. Between 2018 and 2022, UK Research and Innovation, including the Medical Research Council, awarded £23.2 million in brain tumour research funding.

The Government is committed to improving the survival rates for all cancers. The latest publicly available figures showed improved survival rates across almost all types of cancer, including brain cancer, since 2010. Early diagnosis is key to improving survival rates, and the Department is working towards the NHS Long Term Plan ambition of diagnosing 75% of stageable cancers at stage 1 and 2 by 2028.

The Government is working jointly with NHS England on implementing the delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlogs in elective care, and plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25 to help drive up and protect elective activity, including cancer diagnosis and treatment activity.  Over 340,000 people received their first cancer treatment in the 12 months to January 2024.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much her Department has spent on research into carbon capture utilisation and storage in each (a) research institution and (b) science and technology cluster in (i) England, (ii) Scotland, (iii) Wales and (iv) Northern Ireland in the last three years.

Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

UK Research and Innovation has a list of research in carbon capture and storage by area. It is available at https://gow.epsrc.ukri.org/NGBOChooseTTS.aspx?Mode=ResearchArea&ItemDesc=Carbon+Capture+and+Storage

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding her Department has provided to research projects based in (a) St Helens North constituency, (b) the North West and (c) the UK in the last 12 months.

Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

In the 12 months leading to the start of January 2024, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) awarded:

• None to organisations located in St Helens North constituency during this period;
• £264m to organisations performing research projects in the North West of England
• £4.9bn to organisations performing research projects in the UK.

These figures include a range of investments made via UKRI’s Research Councils and Innovate UK, but the figure excludes formula-based block grants deployed through universities which will also have gone to research projects in this region.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2024 to Question 18536 on UK Research and Innovation: Social Media, whether she has authorised the targeted collection of the views of academics on UKRI boards.

Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

No. Due diligence is sometimes carried out by officials, at specific times, for example appointments made directly by DSIT, consistent with standard cross-government approaches.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to Q1 of the oral evidence given to the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee on 12 March 2024, whether her Department (a) monitors and (b) records political statements made on social media by UKRI board members.

Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

No. Due diligence is sometimes carried out by officials, at specific times, for example appointments made directly by DSIT, consistent with standard cross-government approaches.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will take steps to commission research into new models of (a) assessment and (b) support for people with autism.

Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Gateway to Research lists 50 active Medical Research Council (MRC) projects looking at autism and/or neurodevelopment. There are a further 27 projects funded by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Innovate UK. These cover a range of research questions from using AI based diagnostics for autism spectrum disorders to optimising technology used on recruitment platforms to meet the needs of neurodiverse applicants.

Autistica, a UK based charity engaged in funding and campaigning for research on autism and related conditions, is receiving £378k through Government support for Early Career Researcher fund.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of ending government support for the UK Recovery programme on the UK's preparedness for future pandemics.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funded the RECOVERY trial in March 2020, initially for 18 months, before progressively extending the study to March 2024. It was a highly successful trial that, by recruiting patients at a faster rate than any previous trial, was able to rapidly identify the first drugs that reduce COVID-19 mortality. At the end of an NIHR award, including any extensions, researchers can apply through a competitive process for new funding.

The NIHR continues to fund research into infectious diseases, which could be utilised in the event of another pandemic. For example, the NIHR has allocated £2.9 million to Imperial College London and Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust to adapt their COVID-19 trial for severe flu patients. The NIHR is open to applications on any health and care-related topic.

More widely, the UK Biological Security Strategy, published in June 2023, reaffirms our ambition to scale up discovery, development, and manufacturing of therapeutics and vaccines within 100 days of a pandemic being declared. This aligns with our ongoing work to ensure a flexible and capabilities-based approach to pandemic preparedness, which will see emergency planners develop and maintain a generic suite of adaptable response capabilities across the Government. This will enable an approach that can be flexibly deployed to meet the demands of any future pandemic, and support a whole-system response.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding her Department has provided to research projects based in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) the East Midlands in the last 12 months.

Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

In the 12 months to start of January 2024, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) awarded:

• £4.7m to organisations performing research projects in Lincolnshire.
• £146m to organisations performing research projects in the East Midlands.

These figures include a range of investments made via UKRI’s Research Councils and Innovate UK, but the figure excludes formula-based block grants deployed through universities which will also have gone to research projects in this region.

Found: From 2024 onwards, the ‘maximising UK adaptation to climate change programme ’, funded by Defra and UK

Found: “UKRI” means UK Research and Innovation.

Found: “UKRI” means UK Research and Innovation.

Found: coordinated and managed by: the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) Innovate UK (IUK), part of UK

Found: R&D) programme including £10 million research hub launched in September 2023 in partnership with UK

Found: (R&D) programme including £10 million research hub, launched in September 2023 in partnership with UK

Found: for providing overall leadership, and for the management and performance of STFC which is part of UK

Found: strategischer Initiativen vorgegeben, einschließlich der Strategieentwicklung für die Infrastrukturarbeit von UK

Found: fait partie de l’organisme public britannique pour la promotion de la recherche et de l’innovation UK

Found: estratégicas, como la preparación de la estrategia sobre las infraestructuras asociadas a la entidad pública UK

Found: Working alongside UK Research and Innovation CDTs we will develop further PhD-level research programmes

Found: 23 3 High Speed 2 1 Network Rail 4 Highways England 5 Nuclear Decommissioning Authority 10 UK

Found: Energy Use and Energy Access Capacity of ES- MAP in Tanzania, SE for All, WFP and GoT Engage UK

Found: institutes towards net zero – including across the UK Infrastructure Bank, British Business Bank, UK

Found: Working alongside UK Research and Innovation CDTs we will develop further PhD-level research programmes

Found: sources, for example • Sellafield Ltd • National Nuclear Laboratory • NDA Direct Research Portfolio • UK

Found: Professor Mercedes Maroto -Valer, the UK’s Industrial Decarbonisation Champion, IDRIC is a flagship UK

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what work it or its agencies have undertaken to investigate the potential for using liquid hydrogen to power aircraft.

Answered by Hyslop, Fiona - Minister for Transport

Hydrogen has been identified by various organisations, including the UK Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), as a key potential means of powering low/ zero emission flight. Ministers recently provided written support for a flagship liquid hydrogen project, ‘TARGET H2’, funded by the ATI and UK Research and Innovation. The Scottish Government also awarded £150,000 from the Hydrogen Innovation Scheme for a study to test the feasibility of a hydrogen production storage and distribution hub at Glasgow Airport.

Scottish Enterprise has engaged with companies involved in hydrogen-powered aircraft and commissioned a report on Hydrogen demand for Transport, which included liquid hydrogen use in aviation.

The Scottish Government will soon publish its Aviation Statement, which will outline actions on various topics including decarbonisation.