Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide funding for biomedical research into (1) the causes of, and (2) potential cures for, myalgic encephalomyelitis.

The Department provides funding for research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including on the causes of, and potential cures for, myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made based on the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. In all disease areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity.

In the last five years, the NIHR has allocated approximately £3.44 million to support nine research projects on ME and chronic fatigue syndrome. The NIHR is also co-funding, with the Medical Research Council, a £3.2 million study (‘DecodeME’) which is the world’s largest genetic study of the disease.