Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that all people across the UK have equal opportunities to take part in clinical research.

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) also places an emphasis on research activity following patient need including ensuring research is conducted in those parts of the country with the greatest disease burden. The NIHR’s Clinical Research Network (CRN) supports the set-up and delivery of commercial and non-commercial studies and trials across in England, enabling people to participate in relevant research across the country. All National Health Service trusts in England were involved in research supported by the CRN last year.

On 23 March 2021 the Government published its vision for the future of clinical research delivery in the United Kingdom. This aims to create a research system in which everyone has the opportunity to participate in clinical research, participation is as easy as possible and research is delivered where the patients have greatest need. An implementation plan and strategy setting out how the Government will begin to deliver the vision will be published later this year.