VII NATIONAL CANCER ACT
54. The Committee's Report recommended the introduction
of a National Cancer Research Bill to -
- "establish the National Cancer Research
Institute and to place its funding on a statutory basis;
- set out the goals, objectives and functions of
the National Cancer Research Institute, and
- place the registration of cancer and pre-cancerous
diagnoses on a statutory footing."[115]
The Government's Reply did not directly address this
recommendation. We asked the Minister for Public Health her view
of the proposal of a National Cancer Act. She told us "I
do not think we need legislation in order to deliver the improvements
that we need when it comes to research".[116]
She considered that "to separate out cancer funding from
other areas of the NHS by statute would actually be a retrograde
step".[117]
We are not convinced by the Minister's statement that NHS provision
of cancer care and research obviates the case for a National Cancer
Act. We recognise that many advances in cancer care and services
have been achieved in the UK without legislation. We also accept
that the co-operation between Government, industry and the charitable
sector has improved greatly since the foundation of the Cancer
Research Funders' Forum, and now the National Cancer Research
Institute, without need for statutory requirement. However, in
certain areas there appears to be a strong argument for legislation,
for example in placing cancer registration on a statutory footing,
the assurance of adequate funding for the new cancer research
structures and the development of a cancer research strategy.
We recommend that the Government reconsider the potential value
of a National Cancer Act in the light of our concerns regarding
cancer registration, adequate funding for the cancer research
infrastructure and the need for a cancer research strategy.
115 HC 332, para 157 Back
116
Q 193 Back
117
Q 192 Back
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