Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
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 £375 million will be made available for research into neurodegenerative diseases, published on 14 November 2021, whether the new Motor Neurone Disease Research Unit will focus on human relevant methods such as the use of advanced cultures of human cells and tissues, artificial intelligence and organ-on-a-chip technology.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Government delivers research on motor neurone disease (MND) through the Department of Health and Social Care, via the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and through the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The Government has committed £50 million for MND research over the next five years through the NIHR and UKRI and to establish the NIHR’s MND Research Unit to coordinate innovative research applications.
The NIHR and UKRI rely on researchers submitting high-quality applications to access funding. The usual practice of the NIHR and UKRI is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics, such as research on advanced cultures of human cells and tissues. All 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. We are launching a MND partnership call across Government and charity funders to support collaboration and accelerate the delivery of new treatments.
The NIHR’s funding is focused on translational, clinical and applied health and care research. Research on the use of advanced cultures of human cells and tissues and organ-on-a-chip technology will therefore not be in the remit of the NIHR’s MND Research Unit. The NIHR has funding streams to support health and care research that involves artificial intelligence.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
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 £375 million will be made available for research into neurodegenerative diseases, published on 14 November 2021, how much and what proportion of that funding will support research that uses New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), such as the use of advanced cultures of human cells and tissues, artificial intelligence and organ-on-a-chip technology.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Government delivers research on motor neurone disease (MND) through the Department of Health and Social Care, via the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and through the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The Government has committed £50 million for MND research over the next five years through the NIHR and UKRI and to establish the NIHR’s MND Research Unit to coordinate innovative research applications.
The NIHR and UKRI rely on researchers submitting high-quality applications to access funding. The usual practice of the NIHR and UKRI is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics, such as research on advanced cultures of human cells and tissues. All 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. We are launching a MND partnership call across Government and charity funders to support collaboration and accelerate the delivery of new treatments.
The NIHR’s funding is focused on translational, clinical and applied health and care research. Research on the use of advanced cultures of human cells and tissues and organ-on-a-chip technology will therefore not be in the remit of the NIHR’s MND Research Unit. The NIHR has funding streams to support health and care research that involves artificial intelligence.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities on protecting children from alcohol marketing to support their health and wellbeing.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) is a part of the Department on improving the nation’s health and taking action on health disparities. This includes tackling alcohol-related health harms.
Officials within OHID continue to work with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on its advertising policy to address concerns over promotions, advertising and marketing relating to alcohol, particularly to ensure that children and young people are suitably protected.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of alcohol advertising on public transport on (a) children, (b) people in recovery and (c) other vulnerable populations.
Answered by Maggie Throup
No specific assessment has been made.
There is some evidence that exposure to alcohol marketing can increase the risk that children will start to drink alcohol or, if they already drink, that it can increase the risk that they will consume greater quantities of alcohol. This includes any alcohol advertising that children are exposed to on public transport. There is evidence to show exposure to alcohol advertising can induce physiological cravings to drink, but not necessarily relapse, among ex-dependent drinkers. However, this evidence comes from a single study and more research is needed to fully understand the impact.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what representations his Department has received from the Scottish Government on provisions on the control of advertising of (a) alcohol and (b) other products within the Health and Social Care Bill which was introduced on 6 July 2021.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The Department has not received any representations from the Scottish Government about provisions on the control of advertising of alcohol within the Health and Care Bill. The Bill proposes new restrictions on the advertising of products that are high in fat, salt and sugar, across the United Kingdom. We have discussed these proposals with the Scottish Government prior to introduction and will continue engagement across the entire Health and Care Bill as it progresses through Parliament.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on public health of freezes on spirits duty over the last seven years.
Answered by Jo Churchill
In 2016, Public Health England (PHE) published ‘The public health burden of alcohol: evidence review’ which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-public-health-burden-of-alcohol-evidence-review
This review looked at the impact of alcohol on the public health and the effectiveness of alcohol control policies, including taxation and price regulation. Several factors can influence alcohol’s affordability, such as income, cost-of-living and levels of alcohol duty. When looking at changes in the affordability of alcohol around the time of the duty escalator, the review found that between 2008 and 2012, the affordability of alcohol decreased substantially more than household incomes. This suggests that of all the economic factors that can influence alcohol consumption, the 2% duty escalator could have had a bigger effect than other factors. PHE continues to keep the evidence under review.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what research his Department holds on the effect of alcohol consumption on the efficacy of the covid-19 vaccine.
Answered by Edward Argar
The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The NIHR is funding a wide portfolio of research on COVID-19 vaccination but has not commissioned any specific research on the effect of alcohol consumption on the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the outdated Chief Medical Officers' low-risk drinking guidelines are removed alcohol labels.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The Department has worked with industry to ensure that alcohol labels reflect the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers’ Low Risk Drinking Guidelines for drinks produced after 1 September 2019. The Portman Group who are the regulator for alcohol labelling, packaging and promotion in the UK has committed to comply with this requirement. Local trading standards have powers to remove products produced after the 1 September 2019 that contain the old guidelines on the labels.
Any products produced before 1 September 2019 particularly those which may stay on shelf for a number of years, can continue to be sold until stocks are exhausted as is general practice around any new labelling arrangements, because labels were correct at time of production.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of whether the September 2019 deadline to remove the outdated Chief Medical Officers' low-risk drinking guidelines from alcohol labels has been met.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The Department has worked with industry to ensure that alcohol labels reflect the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers’ Low Risk Drinking Guidelines for drinks produced after 1 September 2019. The Portman Group who are the regulator for alcohol labelling, packaging and promotion in the UK has committed to comply with this requirement. Local trading standards have powers to remove products produced after the 1 September 2019 that contain the old guidelines on the labels.
Any products produced before 1 September 2019 particularly those which may stay on shelf for a number of years, can continue to be sold until stocks are exhausted as is general practice around any new labelling arrangements, because labels were correct at time of production.