Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of undertaking a cost-benefit analysis of the potential return on investment of funding ring-fenced biomedical research into ME/CFS to help inform the government’s strategy in reducing long-term sickness and economic activity.

The Department has not made a specific assessment of the potential merits of undertaking a cost-benefit analysis of the potential return on investment of funding ring-fenced myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) research. I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 21 October in response to Question 35172 regarding the Department’s position on ring-fenced funding.