While I am glad that cancer survival rates have increased year-on-year since 2010, I recognise the vital importance of investing in research as a way to drive up survival rates even further. That is why I am pleased that over £882 million in Government funding has been spent on cancer research across the UK since 2010.
The Government funds ground-breaking medical research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The NIHR does not allocate funding for specific disease areas, with the level of research spend in a particular area instead driven by factors such as scientific potential and the number and scale of successful funding applications. That said, I am encouraged that £882 million has been spent on cancer research since 2010 through the NIHR, with its annual spending on cancer research up by over £35 million since 2010.
I also recognise the indispensable contribution made by charities in driving forward research into cancer. Through the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI), 19 major funders of cancer research across the UK - including the Government, and charities such as Cancer Research UK - co-ordinate their research. This prevents unnecessary duplication and maximises the impact of research for cancer patients and the public. Figures from the NCRI show that these 19 partners have together spent over £4 billion on cancer research since 2010.
In partnership with the charity sector, the Government will continue to fund ground-breaking research into cancer which I am confident will lead to new ways to drive up survival rates for these diseases even further.
