Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department plans to increase funding for research into a cure for (a) colitis and (b) Crohn’s disease.

The Department invests over £1 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR funds research in response to proposals received from scientists rather than allocating funding to specific disease areas, although we do commission research under certain themes, it is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions.

NIHR has funded a total of 60 projects into Crohn's and Colitis research, with a combined total funding value of £33.5 million since financial year 2017/18. The NIHR also supports the delivery in the health and care system for Crohn's and Colitis research funded by research funding partners in the charity and public sectors.

The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including Crohn's and Colitis. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition. It is worth noting that all applications that were peer reviewed as fundable in open competition have been funded.