REAL LEVEL OF EXPENDITURE
8. When we asked Sir John Pattison, Director of NHS
Research, Analysis and Information, whether the Government's spending
commitment was being met, he told us "it looks to us, on
a first pass, as if the charitable sector input and the Government
sector input are about the same".[17]
We asked the representatives of the two largest charities whether
they agreed with this assessment. Professor Gordon McVie, Director
General of the Cancer Research Campaign said "it is the most
creative accounting that I have come across for a very long time".[18]
Professor Sir Paul Nurse, Director General of the Imperial Cancer
Research Fund told us "what they have done is had a look
at some of the other research activities, for example in the BBSRC
[Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council], they
have badged what could be said to be generic research into biology
and biomedical work, and re-badged that as cancer [expenditure]".[19]
9. The Department of Health memorandum states that
Governmental annual spending on cancer in 2000-01 is close to
£190 million. Of that sum, £83.8 million is funding
from the Department. This includes not only direct costs, but
support for the indirect costs to the NHS of research carried
out by charities and the research councils. The other £104.2
million is funding from the MRC, HEFCE, and the other Research
Councils.[20] We sought
a further breakdown of this total. Dr Russell Hamilton, Director
of Research and Development, NHS Executive South West, provided
these details for us in evidence:[21]
Table One: Government spending on cancer research,
2000-01