§ 1. Mr. Leadbitterasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many deaths in Great Britain from various forms of cancer there were in the years 1960 to 1965; what was the expenditure on cancer research for the years 1960 and 1965, respectively; and what steps he will take to increase Government support in relation to voluntary contributions.
§ The Minister of State, Department of Education and Science (Mr. R. E. Prentice)Deaths from cancer in Great Britain from January, 1960, to September, 1965, totalled 652,234. In 1960–61 the Medical Research Council, the main Government agency for the promotion of medical research, devoted approximately £687,000 specifically to cancer research; in 1965–66 the amount is expected to be approximately £1,178,000. Further research supported by Government funds is conducted in the universities and at hospitals under the National Health Service, but it is not possible to give an estimate of this expenditure. The Answer to the last part of my hon. Friend's Question is: none. I am assured that the Medical Research Council has not been hampered by lack of funds in its support of proposals for research on cancer which have commended themselves on scientific grounds.
§ Mr. LeadbitterIs my hon. Friend aware, that although there is some indication of progress, the number of reported deaths arising from this serious disease is such that the concern and 1457 anxiety expressed throughout the country are understandable and point to the need for further Government support? Will he therefore keep this matter under strict observation?
§ Mr. PrenticeYes. Government support for the Medical Research Council as a whole has been rising and will rise again next year. The actual allocation of the money between different branches of research is a matter for the Council itself. The Council's spending on this avenue of research has also been rising.
§ Mr. David PriceWould not the Minister agree that to state the figures of direct Government support gives a very inadequate picture of the total national effort, both voluntarily and at universities, to deal with the hideous scourge of cancer?
§ Mr. PrenticeYes. I mentioned work at universities and hospitals. Work in other fields, such as in genetics and virology, may also have a bearing on these particular problems as well as on others.