Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has spent on research into myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome over the past five financial years.

The following table shows information provided by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) on Departmental programme research funding for myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), over each of the last five years. Further information on this research is available through the NIHR Journals Library at the following link:

https://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/programmes/

The NIHR recognises that CFS/ME is a debilitating condition and is speaking with the United Kingdom CFS/ME Research Collaborative and patient representatives about how best to support a joined up approach to high quality research into this complex disorder. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including CFS/ME; it is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. 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.