§ 65. Major MOLLOYasked the Minister of Health what is the death rate from cancer in Great Britain at the present time; what was the death rate from this disease during each of the previous four decades; what proportion of deaths from all causes, other than accident or violence, are due to this scourge and what financial provision is made by His Majesty's Government towards assisting those engaged in fighting this plague by their endeavours to ascertain its causes and the best means of combatting its ravages?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINAs the answer is somewhat long, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ The standardised death rates from cancer in England and Wales in the four decades 1881–1890, 1891–1900, 1901–1910, and 1911–1920, and in the year 1921, were 610, 767, 867, 966, and 1,007 per million of the population respectively.
§ In England and Wales the cancer deaths during the above decades represented 3.2, 4.3, 6.1, and 8.0 per cent. of the total deaths from all causes, other than those due to accident and violence.
§ The promotion of cancer research is among the purposes for which an annual subsidy is made by Parliament to the Medical Research Council, and the Council from time to time make grants in aid of investigations which may bear on the incidence, causation, and treatment of cancer. The Council also have in their charge a quantity of radium salt belonging to His Majesty's Government, and with this have organised an investigation into the treatment of cancer by means of radium in 10 different hospital centres in this country.
§ My hon. Friend is, no doubt, aware that an extensive research into the causes of the disease has for some time past been undertaken by the Imperial Cancer Research Fund.