Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much of the £50 million ringfenced for research into Motor Neurone Disease in 2021 has been allocated; and what assessment they have made of progress in treating the disease.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
On 12 December 2022, the Government announced how the £50 million of committed funds for motor neurone disease (MND) research would be allocated over the next five years ending March 2027. As such, £29.5 million of Government funding has been allocated through specialist research centres and partnerships with leading researchers. The remainder, at least £20.5 million, is available via a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and Medical Research Council rolling call for MND research supported by a joint Highlight Notice.
The £29.5 million package includes: £8 million to early phase clinical research for MND via the NIHR Biomedical Research Centres; £2 million to the MND Collaborative Partnership, for the research community to coordinate efforts, adding £1 million already contributed by government; £12.5 million to MND research in the UK Dementia Research Institute, where seven of its fifty research programmes are focused on MND; and £6 million for a translational accelerator which will connect UK Research and Innovation, the MND collaborative partnership, and the UK Dementias Platform.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's announcement that it would invest £375 million in neurodegenerative disease research, published on 14 November 2021, what progress his Department has made on releasing at least £50 million of funding for research into motor neurone disease; and what advice his Department provides to organisations who wish to access that funding.
Answered by Will Quince
Through this investment, the Government has collaborated with charity funders to deliver a £4.25 million partnership with the motor neurone disease (MND) research community to increase research and accelerate the delivery of new treatments. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is commissioning up to 19 policy research units, which will include units on end of life care and on dementia and neurodegeneration. This will complement existing applied research in these areas with dedicated policy research relevant to MND. The NIHR welcomes research applications from MND researchers and has launched a highlight notice which invites MND research proposals.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards releasing the £50 million they pledged in November 2021 to fund Motor Neurone Disease; and what are the reasons for the delay.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
Funding for Motor Neurone Disease research has always been available via open competition. In 2021/22, NIHR spent £3.8 million on MND research, and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), through the Medical Research Council (MRC), spent around £10.8 million. On 12 December 2022 the Government announced how at least £50 million of committed funds for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) research would be allocated over the next five years:
£8 million to early phase clinical research for MND via the National Institute for Health and Social Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centres.
£2 million to the MND Collaborative Partnership, for the research community to coordinate efforts, adding £1 million already contributed by government.
£12.5 million to MND research in the UK Dementia Research Institute (UKDRI), where seven of its fifty research programmes are focused on MND.
£6 million connect the UK DRI to the Francis Crick Institute Laboratory of Molecular Biology, the MND collaborative partnership, and the UK Dementias Platform.
The remainder (at least £21.5 million) is available via an NIHR and the Medical Research Council (MRC) rolling call for MND research supported by a joint Highlight Notice.
Asked by: Baroness Meacher (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that research into cell and gene therapies is adequately funded.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department of Health and Social Care and the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy fund research into cell and gene therapies including through the Office for Life Sciences. The Department of Health and Social Care has recently announced the outcome of an open competition for designation and funding of the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs). Of the 20 BRCs, 14 conduct research into cell and gene therapies, which has the potential to address complex diseases, such as motor neurone disease and rare disorders for which there are currently no effective treatments.
Since April 2017, the NIHR has provided £38,623,171 to fund 39 specific research projects. While the NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including cell and gene therapies, it is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.
The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, established by Innovate UK, develops the cell and gene therapy industry in the United Kingdom, working with academia and industry to ensure therapies can be used in health services globally. The Catapult has received £75.4 million from the Government in the current five-year funding period until March 2023. The Medical Research Council (MRC) funds the research and development of advanced therapies across its response mode funding schemes and through a number of strategic funding calls. In 2021/22, the MRC funded £33.9 million in research and infrastructure for advanced therapies from discovery research through to translation and clinical trials.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to develop a clinical network for neurological conditions.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department funded National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) invests in research, clinical expertise, specialist facilities, workforce and support services across a range of clinical areas, including neurological conditions. The NIHR brings together its research centres through clinical networks. The NIHR Dementia Translational Research Collaboration is a network of leading universities, NHS trusts and research centres in the UK who carry out early translational research for dementia. The NIHR Clinical Research Network supports participation in research to advance knowledge and improve care. It has speciality areas for neurological disorders such as epilepsy and multiple sclerosis, dementia and neurodegeneration including Motor Neurone Disease and stroke. These speciality areas provide clinical leadership and expertise to effectively deliver studies.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase funding for motor neurone disease research and treatment.
Answered by Will Quince
The Government is strongly committed to supporting research into dementia and neurodegeneration, including motor neurone disease (MND).
In November 2021, the government committed to invest at least £50 million in MND research over the next five years and this commitment was reaffirmed in September of this year.
As part of this investment, the government has collaborated with charity funders to deliver a new £4.25 million partnership, bringing together the MND research community to boost research and speed up the delivery of new treatments. The Department of Health and Social Care funded National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) welcomes research applications from MND researchers and has recently signalled that MND research is a priority area by launching a Highlight Notice on MND, which invites ambitious MND research proposals.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help increase the amount of research into motor neurone disease.
Answered by James Morris
The Government has committed at least £50 million for research into motor neurone disease (MND) in the next five years. This includes a collaboration with charity funders to deliver a £4.25 million partnership with the MND research community to increase research and accelerate the delivery of new treatments. The National Institute for Health and Care Research welcomes research applications from researchers and has recently launched a highlight notice for MND to invite research proposals.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to reduce potential bureaucratic barriers for scientists wishing to access the £50 million funding for motor neurone disease research announced in November 2021.
Answered by George Freeman
Funding for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) research is available now through applications to the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The NIHR and UKRI are undertaking new activities to support the MND research community in effectively accessing funding. This includes a new £4.25 million MND partnership, which the government is delivering alongside charity partners, to pool expertise and resources across the research community to coordinate access to the committed funding.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to facilitate access for scientists who wish to access the £50 million funding for motor neurone disease research announced in November 2021.
Answered by George Freeman
The committed funding can be accessed through applications to the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). We are working closely with DHSC, NIHR and UKRI to support the MND research community in submitting high quality applications to access funding. NIHR and Medical Research Council (part of UKRI) are also delivering a new £4.25 million partnership, co-funded by government and charity partners, to bring together the MND research community to coordinate research efforts, and develop programmes and proposals to boost access to research funds.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will permit individuals with motor neurone disease to renew their blue badge parking permits automatically without renewal application forms.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Applications to the Blue Badge scheme are not dependent upon condition but are based on the need of the applicant to park closer to their destination. Local authorities are responsible for administering the scheme locally and all local authority administrators have the discretion to add a ‘not for reassessment’ marker to individual Blue Badge records, including for applicants with Motor Neurone Disease.
The Department has recently made changes to the online application process and operates a continuous improvement programme based on user research to make it easier for all applicants to apply for a badge.