Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help encourage research into cardiovascular disease (a) treatment and (b) prevention.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department funds research into the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). In January 2023, the Department updated its areas of research interest (ARIs), which highlight to the patient, academic, clinical and life sciences community the areas where we want to expand our efforts and work together to systematically understand, intervene and improve public, patient, and service outcomes. ARI1 focuses on prevention, early diagnosis and appropriate intervention for people at increased risk of poor health, including cardiovascular disease. Supporting ARI1, the three NIHR Research Schools were awarded £10 million to deliver a collaborative programme of prevention research between 2023 and 2027. The programme will have a strong emphasis on capacity building. It will also encourage practitioners to participate in prevention research as a step towards establishing their own longer-term research careers and help address gaps between research and practice.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to promote (a) innovation and (b) research and development in (i) technology, (ii) green energy, (iii) healthcare and (iv) other key sectors of the economy.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is working to unleash the power of research & development and innovation across the economy - backed by the highest-ever levels of public spending on R&D, which will rise to £20 billion in 2024/25. As set out in our recent Science and Technology Framework update, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is removing barriers to success in technology-led sectors such as, telecoms, life sciences, and space.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government (a) is taking steps to ensure the security of genetic data of UK citizens and (b) has raised potential concerns relating to Chinese genomics companies as part of the US-UK Strategic Dialogue on Biological Security.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Organisations which hold sensitive biological data are subject to the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In addition, organisations such as Genomics England, UK Biobank and NIHR BioResource consider national security in decision making about partnerships with other companies.
The Office for Life Sciences is undertaking a programme of work to assess how we can minimise the risks from biological data to protect our burgeoning bioeconomy, without stifling innovation, and build confidence in sharing personal data to improve health outcomes in the UK and across the world. This is being conducted in consultation with relevant Departments and Agencies across Government, and key partners such as Genomics England and UK Biobank.
Underpinned by the UK Biological Security Strategy and the U.S. Biodefense Strategy, the U.S.-UK Strategic Dialogue on Biological Security reflects a shared ambition to protect against a growing and diverse spectrum of biological threats. These risks include future pandemics as well as those that might arise from misuse of biotechnology and genomic data by state actors.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of developing a cross-departmental strategy including the (a) Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and (b) NHS to (i) support and (ii) promote expertise in cell and gene therapy innovation.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises that advanced cell and gene therapies will be an important part of the future of healthcare and the life sciences industry. The Department has been considering the recommendations of the National Cell and Gene Therapy Vision for the UK, a report published by the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult in March 2022, and the UK Strategic Stem Cell Forum’s latest report, A 10 Year Vision for Stem Cell Transplantation and Advanced Cellular Therapies, published in July 2022. As part of this we have been conducting stakeholder engagement across the cell and gene therapy ecosystem to further understand the challenges raised and whether there is a role for the Department in coordinating activity in this area. We will continue to work with our public sector partners to ensure a whole system approach to advanced therapies, building on existing strengths to ensure a joined-up research, regulatory, and health ecosystem.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the letter dated 29 August 2023 from Lord Sharpe of Epsom to the Chair of the Animals in Science Committee, what progress they have made in considering the relocation of the portfolio under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
There are no plans to relocate the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 portfolio from the Home Office to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
The Home Office is working with DSIT to advance the Government’s ambitions for the life sciences and the protection of animals used in science.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the survey on Public attitudes to animal research, last conducted for the Office for Life Sciences in 2018, when her Department plans to commission a further survey.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The department does not currently have plans to run the Public Attitudes in Animal Research Survey. Policy teams are working with a variety of external and internal stakeholders to determine the future of the survey.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing financial incentives for businesses to manufacture medicines in the UK.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In 2021, the Government’s Life Sciences Vision set out our ambition to create a globally competitive environment for Life Sciences manufacturing investments. To help meet these ambitions, the Government has launched three capital grant schemes, with up to £118 million of grant funding allocated. To date, these schemes have delivered £416 million of public and private investment and helped create or secure over 1,400 jobs. We anticipate announcing the next round of grant recipients over spring 2024.
In 2023, the Government announced a further £520 million of funding for Life Sciences manufacturing. This funding, available from 2025 over five years, will help to ensure that the United Kingdom remains a world leading location for Life Sciences manufacturing investments.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish detailed implementation plans, covering those health missions within the Life Sciences Vision, as undertaken at its launch in July 2021.
Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Four of the healthcare Missions published in the 2021 Life Sciences Vision: Dementia, Cancer, Obesity and Mental Health, as well as the Addiction Mission (announced as part of the 2021 Drugs Plan, ‘From harm to hope’) have recruited Chairs, have comprehensive delivery plans and objectives, and are beginning to make substantial investments to operationalise these. Progress on the delivery of the Missions, and the related investments, have and will continue to be made available online at a regular cadence.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government (1) how they are measuring progress on the respiratory mission, announced as part of the 2021 Life Sciences Vision, and (2) what progress has been made
Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government has engaged with stakeholders to define and develop the scope of work to be undertaken under the Respiratory Mission.
Meanwhile, the Government has committed funding to support respiratory research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Medical Research Council. This investment is aligned to the aims and ambitions of the proposed Respiratory Mission, outlined in the Life Science Vision, to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with respiratory disease.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will (1) appoint a chair to lead the respiratory mission within the Life Sciences Vision, and (2) provide funding to enable the delivery of the respiratory mission as it has done in the case of the cancer, obesity and mental health missions.
Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government has engaged with stakeholders to define and develop the scope of work to be undertaken under the Respiratory Mission, which aims to reduce the mortality and morbidity from respiratory disease in the UK and globally. At this point a chair of the Respiratory Mission has not been appointed.