Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress his Department has made on research into the treatment of mitochondrial disease.

The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) supports three Biomedical Research Centres (BRC) and two Clinical Research Facilities that are carrying out research on mitochondrial disease. This includes a project from the NIHR BRC in Great Ormond Street on novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for mitochondrial disorders.

The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including mitochondrial disease; 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.