Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
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 support research into covid-19 and ageing.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave the Hon. Member for Dulwich and West Norwood on 7th September 2020 to Question 77719.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to increase funding allocated to medical research in the North East.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
In 2018, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) spent over £32m on health-related research in the North East.
UKRI, funds medical research primarily through the Medical Research Council (MRC). UKRI welcomes investigator-led proposals from the North-East and a key consideration for a future strategy is how UKRI research can best benefit the regions in the UK.
The MRC has a number of investments based in the North East including the MRC-Arthritis Research UK Centre for Integrated Musculoskeletal Research which is a collaboration between research and clinicians at Newcastle University, the University of Liverpool and the University of Sheffield. The Centre will focus on understanding 1) how muscles, bones and joints change as we age, 2) how this makes some people prone to problem with tissues such as arthritis, and 3) what each person can do to reduce the risk of developing these problems. Another recent investment based in the North East includes the UK National Innovation Centre for Ageing based at Newcastle University which brings together scientists, industry, the NHS, the charitable and public sectors to bring products to market that optimise health and wellbeing as people age.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of the £22 billion investment into R&D, announced in Budget 2020, he plans to allocate to dementia research.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government recognises the economic value of the life sciences sector, the great work of the public health service and the challenge that dementia poses for society.
At the 2020 Budget, the Government announced it would increase public investment in R&D to £22bn by 2024-25, the largest ever increase in support for R&D. This will support innovators and researchers in the UK in their work, including to address the great challenges facing our society such as healthy ageing and climate change.
Although most of this investment will be allocated at the Spending Review, the Budget provided additional funding to the National Institute for Health Research for research into preventable diseases. This will support work directed towards solving a range of major health challenges and support local authorities to grow their research capabilities.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the benefits to (a) the UK and (b) Israel of the Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership in each of the last eight years.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange (BIRAX) is a flagship project of the British Embassy in Tel Aviv and the British Council Israel. Since the launch of BIRAX in 2011, around £13 million has been invested in 26 research projects, focusing on regenerative medicine including cardiovascular and liver disease, Alzheimer's, Diabetes and Parkinson's. BIRAX-supported research has been published in 77 publications and presented in about 96 conferences around the world. With projects at the forefront of scientific innovation, BIRAX has now progressed to tackle the global challenge of ageing, a priority for both the UK and Israel.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Durham (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Tearfund Ageing in Rwanda, published on 25 January.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
Tearfund’s research report on ageing in Rwanda is an important contribution to a growing evidence base on changing demographics in Rwanda. It complements UK Aid funded research looking at the implications of ageing and demographic change in Rwanda. Tearfund’s report highlights the unique nature and speed of the demographic transition in Rwanda, a result of rapid improvements in life expectancy and a reduction in the fertility rate. While this is likely to provide opportunities in the future, the large growth in the number of older people will also create challenges; many of which, as the report clearly outlines, are being experienced by older people in Rwanda today. These include unmet mental health needs arising from loss, trauma and bereavement as well as vulnerability exacerbated by gaps in social protection, health and care services. DFID engaged in the dissemination event for this report in Kigali and will draw on findings from the research to further strengthen its work on social protection, agriculture and livelihoods to respond to the needs of older people in Rwanda.
Asked by: Stephen Metcalfe (Conservative - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding is being invested by UKRI in understanding the biological mechanisms of ageing.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
Through the Ageing Society Grand Challenge (ASGC), the Government has set an ambitious mission to “ensure that people can enjoy at least five extra healthy, independent years of life by 2035”.
UKRI is a key part in addressing this Challenge. We have announced £98m of funding for healthcare innovation to support healthy aging, through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, and £69.5 million through UKRI’s Strategic Priorities Fund to unlock new treatments that allow people to lead healthier and longer lives.
In 2018/19, UKRI spent £81.9m on a huge breadth of healthy ageing research. Within this, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Medical Research Council (MRC) are the main funders of research into the biological mechanism of ageing. In 2017/18:
Asked by: Chris Ruane (Labour - Vale of Clwyd)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Answer of 14 September 2018 to Question 171303, what progress her Department has made in its Ageing Society Mission.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Aging Society Mission is a cross-government priority with the aim of delivering an additional five years of independent living by 2035. DHSC’s ‘Prevention is better that cure’ vision sets out the steps to deliver this mission. So far we have announced £98 million of investment through the Healthy Ageing Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to stimulate well-designed innovations that support people to enjoy active and independent lives for longer. We have announced plans to launch a ‘Home of 2030’ design and innovation competition later this year – which will seek to prototype the homes of the future that are built to a standard suitable for the changing needs across a lifetime. We have part-funded the new National Innovation Centre for Ageing in Newcastle, which is due to open later this year. In addition, we have announced over £130 million of investment to support healthcare innovation, including £69.5 million through UKRI’s Strategic Priorities Fund to unlock new treatments that allow people to lead healthier and longer lives. We have launched a joint UK–Japan competition to support British and Japanese businesses to harness AI and robotics to develop and showcase a new generation of assisted living products to help create safe, ethical and intelligent home environments.
Asked by: Stephen Metcalfe (Conservative - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to meet the Government’s ageing society target of five extra healthier, more independent years of life as identified in the Industrial Strategy.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
Delivering the Government’s Ageing Society Grand Challenge will require complex systems thinking across a number of areas including housing, financial support, workforce as well as health and care. We are working with a range of partners across Government, industry, academia and the voluntary sector and we are taking steps in number of areas. These include building United Kingdom business awareness of the longevity economy and age-diverse workforce; supporting local places through Local Industrial Strategies to address the opportunities and challenges of an ageing society; and building research and innovation collaborations with international partners.
Asked by: Stephen Metcalfe (Conservative - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 incorporate research and evidence into healthy nutrition and physical activity into the Government’s ageing society target of five healthier, more independent years of life as identified in the Industrial Strategy.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Department’s consultation document ‘Advancing our Health: Prevention in the 2020s’, was published in July 2019. It sets out proposals to support the achievement of the Ageing Society Grand Challenge Mission for everyone to enjoy five extra years of healthy, independent living by 2035 whilst narrowing the gap between the richest and poorest.
‘Advancing our Health’ included the third chapter of the childhood obesity plan which sets out further measures to help meet our ambition to halve childhood obesity by 2030 and significantly reduce the gap in obesity between children from the most and least deprived areas by 2030. All chapters of the plan were informed by the latest research and emerging evidence, including from debates in Parliament and various reports from key stakeholders. We have also captured analysis from the National Institute for Health Research Obesity Policy Research Unit, which was established as part of the initial plan, through £5 million investment over five years.
Government nutrition advice is underpinned by the best available scientific evidence, which is regularly reviewed by the Scientific Advisory Committee for Nutrition. In the United Kingdom the Eatwell Guide represents current government recommendations on a healthy, balanced diet to promote long term health at a population level. The Eatwell Guide applies to most people over the age of five and is available to view at the following link:
The UK Chief Medical Officers’ physical activity guidelines published in September 2019 reflect the most up to date review of evidence for muscle and balance health. These guidelines provide recommendations and targets for different age groups and for people with disability.
‘Advancing our Health: Prevention in the 2020s’ is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/advancing-our-health-prevention-in-the-2020s
Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress has been made against the commitment set out in the Loneliness Strategy to work with local partners, through the Ageing Society Grand Challenge, on how to develop inclusive homes and communities that support people to remain healthy and independent for longer.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Through the Ageing Society Grand Challenge, a £2.5 million competition has been developed. This will reward new ideas that lead to innovation in design and delivery of age friendly housing, that addresses the needs of an ageing population. A team led by the Building Research Establishment has recently been appointed to work with Government as the competition delivery partner and the competition itself is scheduled to be launched in late 2019.