§ Mr. Macfarlaneasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the amount of money spent by the Government on cancer research in each of the years from 1970 to date; and what proportion he estimates this represents of the total.
§ Mr. MulleyIdentifiable public expenditure on cancer research in each of the past five financial years has been:
Financial year Medical Research Council (MRC)* United Kingdom contribution to International Agency for Research on Cancer (through MRC)* Health and Hospital Authorities in England and Wales, excluding equipment … £m. £000 £000 1970–71 … 2.166 80.5 344.0 1971–72 … 2.546 100.5 309.0 1972–73 … 2.929 105.0 401.0 1973–74 … 3.507 100.0 606.0 1974–75 … 4.833 133.0 670.0 * Funded from my Department's science budget. Further cancer research supported by public funds is carried out in the universities and medical schools. Details of expenditure by voluntary cancer research organisations, of which the major bodies are the Imperial Cancer Research Fund and the Cancer Research Campaign, are to be found in their annual reports. Much of the information which would be needed to estimate the proportion of total expenditure on cancer research represented by Government expenditure is not available.