Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what support is available to help UK-based organisations become a UKRI approved research organisation to allow them to apply for research grants.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
To apply to become an eligible organisation, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) provides:
UKRI encourages organisations to engage with the relevant UKRI Research Council and further information can be found at: https://www.ukri.org/apply-for-funding/before-you-apply/apply-to-be-an-eligible-organisation/.
To become a UKRI-eligible RO, the entity must demonstrate independent capability to lead, manage, and report on research, with a strategy aligned to UKRI priorities. The entity must also be legally constituted, have a track record of research investment, and provide evidence of their ability to manage public funding, such as having a physical UK research base.
Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of online misinformation in the use of chlorine dioxide in treatments for autism on people with autism; and what steps he plans to take to help tackle this.
Answered by Feryal Clark
This government recognises the damaging impact online misinformation can have. Autism is not a medical condition with treatments or a "cure". The NHS website highlights that products falsely claiming to be cures or treatments for autism are harmful, including chlorine dioxide.
The Online Safety Act requires platforms to tackle illegal health mis- and disinformation content on their services for all users – these requirements have been in place since March. Additionally from 25 July, services in-scope of the Act that children can easily access, will be required to protect them from legal but nonetheless harmful content, including that which encourages the ingestion, inhalation or exposure to harmful substances.