Prostate Cancer (Hansard, 7 April 2000)

§ Mr. Llew Smith
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what extra resources have been allocated to support the meeting of the new target of referring patients suspected of suffering from prostate cancer to a specialist within two weeks. [116984]

§ Yvette Cooper
By the end of 2000, patients in England with a suspected cancer will be able to see a specialist within two weeks of their general practitioner deciding they need to be seen urgently and requesting an appointment. To support implementation of this standard we have made £10 million available for each of the financial years 1999–2000 and 2000–01. We are also making an additional £30 million available for each of the next two financial years to further support the two week standard and the modernisation of cancer services.

§ Mr. Hammond
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will increase Government funding for research into prostate cancer to the level of Government funding for research into breast cancer. [99893]

§ Yvette Cooper
Government funding for research is provided through a number of routes.
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The Medical Research Council (MRC) is the main agency through which the Government support research on the causes and treatment of disease. The MRC receives most of its income via grant-in-aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. The Department of Health funds research to support policy development in health and social care, and to support effective practice in the NHS. The Department also provides NHS support funding for research commissioned by the MRC and charities that takes place in the NHS.
The latest figures available for annual Government expenditure (Department of Health/NHS, MRC and other Government Departments—principally devolved Health Departments) on breast cancer and prostate cancer are £9.33 million and £1.55 million respectively. These figures underestimate the total Government research and development expenditure in these areas, as detailed estimates of NHS support funding are not collected routinely.
Since 1997, the Government have committed an extra £800,000 to new research projects on prostate cancer, through the Medical Research Council and through the Department of Health. The Department has actively sought to support such work in prostate cancer, and has not rejected any high quality proposals for work in this area.
The Department recently announced £1 million additional new funding for this financial year for urgent research studies into prostate cancer as a mark of its concern over this disease.
Following the seminar last year at No. 10, a "Cancer Research Funders' Forum" has been established to help improve the co-ordination of cancer research in the United Kingdom. It is being run by the MRC and includes DH representatives and the major cancer research charities. At the Department's request, the Forum considered the issue of prostate cancer at its first meeting on 10 January. They agreed to set up an expert group on prostate cancer, which will identify gaps in current research and suggest ways of filling them. The expert group met for the first time on 25 February, and expects to report within months.
We have appointed a National Cancer Director, Professor Mike Richards, who will spearhead our concerted drive on cancer. He will work in partnership with doctors, nurses, general practitioners, other health professionals and the voluntary sector to improve prevention and modernise cancer services to help ensure equitable access to high quality cancer care. This will include a close interest in the development and progression of research.