Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Countess of Mar (Crossbench). It was answered on Monday, 2 June 2008.

Health: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

Question: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. Does he appreciate that, despite the fact that it has been 40 years since the World Health Organisation recognised ME as a neurological disease and 20 years since the Department of Health did so, adults are still sectioned or deemed as lacking in capacity and children whose parents are blamed for their illness are put on the at-risk register or are made wards of court, with people from both these groups forcibly put into mental hospitals? This has been described to me as abuse by professionals. What has been the outcome of the CMO’s 2002 recommendations on the £8.5 million supposedly spent on CFS/ME, which has apparently come to nothing, and what will happen in the future?

Answer: My Lords, the Government accept the World Health Organisation’s classification of CFS/ME as a neurological condition of an unknown cause. My ministerial colleague Ann Keen reaffirmed that position at the meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on ME in January of this year. Subsequent to the CMO’s report, the Government allocated funding of £8.5 million for two years, 2004-05 and 2005-06, to set up specialist CFS/ME services where none existed previously. These centres, of which there are 13 across the country, would improve services for those with CFS/ME.

Secondary information