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Written Question
Dementia: Finance
Tuesday 27th February 2024

Asked by: Kate Osamor (Independent - Edmonton)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the additional £95 million investment in dementia care has been allocated.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission was launched in August 2022 with £95 million of Government funding. There is now more than £120 million of committed funding to the mission, which will be invested into three key pillars. The first pillar centres on biomarkers and experimental medicine, and will receive £50 million of the funding for the mission, with the intention of securing match funding from industry partners. As part of this pillar, Innovate UK launched a Small Business Research Initiative competition, with the aim of accelerating innovations in clinical biomarker tools and technologies for dementia, where organisations could apply for a share of £6 million of funding out of the allocated £50 million. These technologies will enable the discovery, validation, and implementation of a suite of decision-enabling biomarkers to help transform clinical trials and precision therapies. The competition closed on 4 September 2023, and the recipients awarded a portion of the £6 million will be announced soon.

The second pillar will focus on clinical trial infrastructure and innovation, with two recently announced initiatives to support its delivery. The first of these initiatives is the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s Dementia-Translational Research Collaboration Trials Network, with almost £50 million of funding over five years. This will expand the United Kingdom’s early phase clinical trial capabilities for dementia, speeding up the development of new treatments. The second initiative is the Clinical Trials Delivery Accelerator, focused on dementia, also named the Dementia Accelerator. This was announced in the Autumn Statement 2023, in response to Lord O’Shaughnessy’s independent review into commercial clinical trials in the UK, with up to £20 million of additional funding.

The third pillar will be focused on end-to-end implementation, specifically on aligning translational research, clinical practice, and regulatory frameworks to prepare health-systems for new dementia medicines. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, NHS England, the Department, the devolved administrations, and the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission are already working closely together to plan for the implementation of new dementia medicines, should they gain approval in the UK.


Written Question
Dementia: Research
Monday 26th February 2024

Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the £95 million investment in dementia clinical (a) trials and (b) innovative research will be allocated across the Mission’s pillars of (i) innovations in biomarkers, data and digital and imaging technologies, (ii) increasing the number and speed of UK-based clinical trials for research into dementia and neurodegeneration and (iii) end-to-end implementation.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission was launched in August 2022 with £95 million of Government funding. There is now more than £120 million of committed funding to the mission, which will be invested into three key pillars. The first pillar centres on biomarkers and experimental medicine, and will receive £50 million of the funding for the mission, with the intention of securing match funding from industry partners. As part of this pillar, Innovate UK launched a Small Business Research Initiative competition, with the aim of accelerating innovations in clinical biomarker tools and technologies for dementia, where organisations could apply for a share of £6 million of funding out of the allocated £50 million. These technologies will enable the discovery, validation, and implementation of a suite of decision-enabling biomarkers to help transform clinical trials and precision therapies. The competition closed on 4 September 2023, and the recipients awarded a portion of the £6 million will be announced soon.

The second pillar will focus on clinical trial infrastructure and innovation, with two recently announced initiatives to support its delivery. The first of these initiatives is the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s Dementia-Translational Research Collaboration Trials Network, with almost £50 million of funding over five years. This will expand the United Kingdom’s early phase clinical trial capabilities for dementia, speeding up the development of new treatments. The second initiative is the Clinical Trials Delivery Accelerator, focused on dementia, also named the Dementia Accelerator. This was announced in the Autumn Statement 2023, in response to Lord O’Shaughnessy’s independent review into commercial clinical trials in the UK, with up to £20 million of additional funding.

The third pillar will be focused on end-to-end implementation, specifically on aligning translational research, clinical practice, and regulatory frameworks to prepare health-systems for new dementia medicines. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, NHS England, the Department, the devolved administrations, and the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission are already working closely together to plan for the implementation of new dementia medicines, should they gain approval in the UK.


Written Question
Vaccination: Research
Wednesday 24th April 2019

Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to his oral contribution on 26 March 2019 to Question 910028 on Antimicrobial Resistance: Vaccines, what steps his Department is taking to stimulate research and development into vaccines, including for tuberculosis, as an alternative to antibiotics.

Answered by Seema Kennedy

The United Kingdom national action plan on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), published on 24 January 2019, contains the commitment to continue to support research into new and alternative treatments, vaccines and diagnostic tests.

The Government has invested over £350 million in AMR research and development since 2014, including research funding calls with vaccination in scope, most recently the £32 million capital funding call lead by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), and the Small Business Research Initiative competition which announced its awards in January 2019. We would expect to consider the role of vaccines for AMR in future programmatic funding.

The UK supports the development of vaccines through UK Aid programmes such as the Global AMR Innovation Fund (GAMRIF) and the UK Vaccine Network. GAMRIF is a £50 million fund to support innovative research and development for AMR, for the benefit of people in low- and middle-income countries, and invests £30 million into preventative measures in human and animal health, including vaccines for AMR not including tuberculosis (TB). The fund includes a £1 million work package with the Bacterial Vaccinology Network which supports early stage research and development around the world to drive the development and uptake of vaccines for AMR in humans and animals.

The UK supports TB vaccine research through the Medical Research Council (MRC), with support to the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, and through the Joint Global Health Clinical Trials programme represented by the Department for International Development (DFID), MRC, NIHR and Wellcome. DFID’s Agriculture research team is supporting work on bovine TB vaccine development in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.


Written Question
Vaccination: Research
Wednesday 24th April 2019

Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to his oral contribution on 26 March 2019 to Question 910028 on Antimicrobial Resistance: Vaccines, what funding he plans to make to stimulate research and development into vaccines as an alternative to antibiotics.

Answered by Seema Kennedy

The United Kingdom national action plan on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), published on 24 January 2019, contains the commitment to continue to support research into new and alternative treatments, vaccines and diagnostic tests.

The Government has invested over £350 million in AMR research and development since 2014, including research funding calls with vaccination in scope, most recently the £32 million capital funding call lead by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), and the Small Business Research Initiative competition which announced its awards in January 2019. We would expect to consider the role of vaccines for AMR in future programmatic funding.

The UK supports the development of vaccines through UK Aid programmes such as the Global AMR Innovation Fund (GAMRIF) and the UK Vaccine Network. GAMRIF is a £50 million fund to support innovative research and development for AMR, for the benefit of people in low- and middle-income countries, and invests £30 million into preventative measures in human and animal health, including vaccines for AMR not including tuberculosis (TB). The fund includes a £1 million work package with the Bacterial Vaccinology Network which supports early stage research and development around the world to drive the development and uptake of vaccines for AMR in humans and animals.

The UK supports TB vaccine research through the Medical Research Council (MRC), with support to the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, and through the Joint Global Health Clinical Trials programme represented by the Department for International Development (DFID), MRC, NIHR and Wellcome. DFID’s Agriculture research team is supporting work on bovine TB vaccine development in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.


Written Question
Antibiotics: Drug Resistance
Thursday 12th July 2018

Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason Tuberculosis was excluded from the scope of the £10 million Small Business Research Initiative competition on antimicrobial resistance in humans.

Answered by Steve Brine

The Small Business Research Initiative competition is funded by a Department of Health and Social Care non-Official Development Assistance budget. Research specifically on Tuberculosis (TB) pathogens was deprioritised for this competition as there are established global funds targeting the development of new treatments for TB.

The United Kingdom is contributing to a reduction in drug resistant TB by implementing the Collaborative TB Strategy for England, which parallels and integrates with the aims and actions of the UK Antimicrobial Resistance strategy.


Written Question
Antimicrobials: Drug Resistance
Thursday 12th July 2018

Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason Tuberculosis was excluded from the scope of the £10 million Small Business Research Initiative competition on antimicrobial resistance in humans.

Answered by Steve Brine

The Small Business Research Initiative competition is funded by a Department of Health and Social Care non-Official Development Assistance budget. Research specifically on Tuberculosis (TB) pathogens was deprioritised for this competition as there are established global funds targeting the development of new treatments for TB.

The United Kingdom is contributing to a reduction in drug resistant TB by implementing the Collaborative TB Strategy for England, which parallels and integrates with the aims and actions of the UK Antimicrobial Resistance strategy.


Written Question
Medicine: Research
Thursday 5th April 2018

Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2018 to Question 124433, on Medicine: Research, how much money the Government has invested in (a) medical research and development and (b) medical research and development carried out by private companies since 2010.

Answered by Sam Gyimah

The Government invests money in the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Innovate UK, both of which are non-departmental public bodies. The MRC funds (a) medical research and development, while both MRC and Innovate fund (b) medical research and development carried out by private companies.

(a) MRC funding of medical research and development

The Medical Research Council (MRC) supports research through a range of grants and personal awards to scientists in universities, medical schools and other research institutes and welcomes investigator-initiated research proposals in all areas of research relevant to human health. Awards are made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals.

Year

MRC gross expenditure

2010/11

£775.11m

2011/12

£736.82m

2012/13

£769.79m

2013/14

£877.32m

2014/15

£801.38m

2015/16

£927.79m

2016/17

£754.98m

Notes:

(b) MRC and Innovate UK funding for medical research and development carried out by private companies

Innovate UK has funded medical research and development across a number of thematic areas, and funding also comprises a share of the that awarded through its Open Programme and other responsive funding programmes. Innovate UK also indirectly supports investment in medical R&D through the core funding it provides the Cell & Gene Therapy Catapult and the Medicines Discovery Catapult

The MRC provides funding for research and development to private companies on an exceptional basis through the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement & Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) CRACK IT scheme using the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) process from Innovate UK. The scheme drives the development of better and more predictive tools and technologies for drug and chemical development that will impact positively on the replacement, refinement and reduction of animals in research. The scheme funds universities and SMEs to work together to develop these tools so they are fit for purpose for broad uptake.

Year

MRC expenditure to private companies (spend)

Innovate UK (commitment)

2010/11

£0m

£25.12m

2011/12

£0.02m

£29.43m

2012/13

£0.09m

£80.05m

2013/14

£0.32m

£66.64m

2014/15

£0m

£41.72m

2015/16

£0m

£24.42m

2016/17

£0.59m

£63.20m

Please note that spend and commitment figures are not directly comparable as funding may be committed in one year but spent in another.

In addition the Department of Health and Social Care funds research into all aspects of human health through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) at the level of £1bn per year including on programmes on research which encourage collaboration with industry.


Written Question
Small Business Research Initiative
Thursday 8th March 2018

Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)

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 from the public purse was allocated though the Small Business Research Initiative programme by each Government Department in 2016-17.

Answered by Sam Gyimah

The value of Small Business Research Initiative contracts in 2016/17 as reported to Innovate UK by Departments is set out below:

Department/Public Body

Total Contract Value (£k)

Department for Business Innovation and Skills

£649

Department of Health

£20,579

NHS England

£13,437

Home Office

£4,777

MoD

£13,996

NC3Rs (National Centre for Replacement and Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research)

£2,294

Department for Culture Media and Sport

£450

Department for Education

£125

Department for International Development

£497

UK Space Agency

£737

Innovate UK

£2,028

Devolved Administrations

£14,811

Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) projects

£4,641

Total

£79,021

Source: Innovate UK Management Data


Written Question
Dementia
Friday 27th May 2016

Asked by: Mark Menzies (Conservative - Fylde)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to support innovation in assistive technology for use by people with dementia.

Answered by Jane Ellison

Dementia is a key priority for the Government. That is why in February 2015, the Prime Minister launched his Challenge on Dementia 2020. The Government will implement the Prime Minister’s Challenge in full to make sure that dementia care, support, awareness and research are transformed by 2020.

As part of the 2020 Challenge, we want to see greater provision of innovative and high quality dementia care, delivered in a way that is personalised and appropriate to the specific needs of the person with dementia, their family and carers. This includes providers incorporating new ideas including technology solutions into everyday practice. We also want to see research on assistive technologies and assisted living, including research on how information and communication technologies can best help people with dementia and carers.

The Department and NHS England recently launched seven ‘Test Bed Sites’ in England. These sites will evaluate the real world impact of technologies, testing them together with innovations in how the NHS services are delivered, to improve health and care outcomes. Three of the Test Beds will have a focus on dementia.

A number of programmes have been launched to support usage of technology for the benefit of people including those with dementia and their carers. These include:

- The Technology Enabled Care Services (TECS) Programme;

- A TECS resource for Commissioners; and

- The Small Business Research Initiative Healthcare and Regional Innovation Fund initiative.


Written Question
Small Business Research Initiative: Health Services
Friday 5th February 2016

Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the budget (a) allocated from central Government to and (b) awarded by the Small Business Research Initiative for healthcare was in each financial year since its inception.

Answered by George Freeman

The Department has run a number of competitions under the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) and has had a budget as follows: fiscal year 2012-13 £2 million; fiscal 2013-14 £5 million; fiscal 2014-15 £2 million and fiscal 2015-16 £6 million. The Department has awarded contracts valued as follows:

2012-13: £1.07 million, the Department also contributed £1 million to other health related SBRI competitions.

2013-14: £5.59 million

2014-15: £10.15 million

It should be noted that SBRI is now firmly embedded within NHS England’s Small Business Research Initiative for Healthcare (SBRI Healthcare). Hence, the Department has not launched any new competitions since 2013.

SBRI Healthcare was established in 2013 by NHS England. As such, NHS England is responsible for setting this programme’s budget, which it has done as follows: fiscal year 2013-14 £10 million; fiscal 2014-15 £20 million; fiscal 2015-16 £20 million. The budget, once allocated to SBRI Healthcare, is then delegated to the Academic Health Science Networks to manage the implementation of the programme.

NHS England has awarded contracts valued as follows:

2013-14: £13.49 million

2014-15: £22.29 million

2015-16: £15.94 million to-date.

Further assessments are due to take place this month which could result in additional awards of around £1.6 million.

The level of investment in SBRI Healthcare reflects NHS England’s ongoing commitment to promoting innovation in the National Health Service and United Kingdom economic growth.