§ Mr. Bob RussellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding was given by his Department to the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in each of the last three financial years for which figures are available; if he has any proposals to increase the amount; and if he will make a statement. [141377]
§ Yvette CooperThe Department does not directly fund the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) but it does provide indirect support for ICRF research in several ways. For example, the Department funds the National Health Service costs of ICRF-funded research that takes place in the NHS, and many ICRF-funded researchers hold departmental/NHS research grants. In addition, the Department and ICRF, plus others, jointly fund substantial research projects such as the United Kingdom Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening.
The Department will be investing an additional £20 million a year by 2003 in the NHS Cancer Research Network, the Co-ordinating Centre for which involves ICRF. There are two groups one of which is led by Professor Peter Selby, Head of ICRF Cancer Medicine Research Unit at the University of Leeds. The second includes Professor Adrian Harris, Head of the ICRF Medical Oncology Unit at the University of Oxford.