News & Events
Fencing in Tony Blair on Issue of MND
10 January 2007
The Prime Minister was put under more pressure today to ring fence £7.5 million of Government funding for research into MND.Lembit Opik, MP for Montgomeryshire and President of the MND Association, raised the issue of funding during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday 10 January.
He asked if the Prime Minister knew that “Britain spends £241 million a year treating those with MND”, making research into a cure for the disease “a prudent investment”. He urged Mr Blair to offer £7.5 million matched funding into MND research to help create a world free of the disease.
He also reminded the Prime Minister of the hundreds of letters that have been sent to Downing Street since the beginning of the year by people affected by MND, urging him to make the funding available.
The Prime Minister assured Mr Öpik that the funding proposal submitted by the MND Association was being considered and that he hoped an answer would be given as soon as possible. He also applauded Mr Öpik’s support of the Association, saying “I congratulate him on the excellent work he is doing for the MND Association and hope he continues to do so.”
Last October, the MND Association launched an MND Research Foundation designed to help raise £15 million in support of national and international efforts to end MND. The Association wants to see the Government contribute toward that goal by ring fencing £7.5 million from the existing medical research budget.
Kirstine Knox, Chief Executive for the MND Association, said: “Every year more than 1,600 people die from this devastating disease. We have a responsibility to do all that we can to help make MND history.
“We are delighted that Lembit continues to raise the important issue of funding into MND research and we urge the Government to join us in this fight by committing the £7.5 million we so urgently need.”
Commenting after Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Öpik added “Mr Blair and his Health Minister, Andy Burnham, MP, have both been extremely supportive of our efforts to raise the money needed to make a massive step forwards towards a cure for MND.
“This initiative will cost £15 million, and the MND Association is committed to raising half of that. We hope that the Government will be matching this with a £7.5 million contribution.
“It’s a very prudent investment, because the NHS and our Social Services spend a minimum of £241 million a year on those with MND. A cure is therefore is cost saving as well as life saving. In short, it’s very good economics to finance this research.”
