Motor Neurone Disease Research

Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about investment in motor neurone disease (MND) research.

I sympathise profoundly with anyone who is affected by MND. I also pay tribute to the MND Association for the vital role it plays in supporting research, providing information and support to individuals and their families and campaigning for improved services.

MND research is key to finding a cure and improving treatments for this terrible disease. The MND Association’s ‘United to End MND’ campaign brings together people with MND, researchers, clinicians, and charities. I supported its calls for additional funding for a research institute on MND, which will help to deliver better value for money in treating MND patients, provide opportunities for the UK research and pharmaceutical sector and potentially provide valuable results when it comes to treating other degenerative disorders such as dementia.

I am pleased that the Department of Health and Social Care recently confirmed £50 million for a new National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Motor Neurone Disease Research Unit. This new unit will co-ordinate research applications for the new funding, encouraging more innovative studies with the ultimate goal of finding a cure. The Government has confirmed that researchers can apply for funding directly with the NIHR and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

The UK sees great returns on research funding, both in terms of the economy and the positive impact for those who rely on breakthroughs in treatment. While additional funding for MND research is welcome, I remain concerned that hundreds of millions of pounds were taken from the core science budget this year. And at the Autumn Budget and Spending Review in October, the Chancellor delayed £2 billion in annual spending on research and development.

I want to see, across our economy, and counting private sector investment as well as public sector, 3% of GDP being invested in research and development. Just as we need to renew public funding and support for the NHS, we also need to renew public funding and support for research as a public good.

Thank you once again for contacting me about this issue.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP