§ 39. Mr. Spriggsasked the Minister of Health if he will take steps to assume the financial responsibility for cancer research.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithThe Government already expects to spend some £472,000 on cancer research in the current financial year, through the Medical Research Council.
§ Mr. SpriggsAlthough we appreciate the public is spiritedness of all those who collect for cancer research, does the right hon. and learned Gentleman not agree that the time has now come when his Minister should face full responsibility for cancer research finance in this country?
§ Mr. Walker-SmithThe hon. Gentleman refers to the Minister. He will appreciate that it is the Medical Research Council, which is responsible to my noble Friend the Lord President of the Council, which, in fact, does this research. On the generality of the question, as I said in answer to Question No. 7, I feel that there is an important contribution to be made by voluntary efforts in regard to cancer research, and close co-ordination is practised in regard to it.