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Cancer Research: Funding
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What was spent on research into breast cancer in each of the last five years; how much they expect to be spent in the current year; what consideration is being given to increasing spending; and what comparative information they have on spending on this research:
What was spent on research into lung cancer in each of the last five years; how much they expect to be spent in the current year; what consideration is being given to increasing spending; and what comparative information they have on spending on this research:
What was spent on research into cervical cancer in each of the last five years; how much they expect to be spent in the current year; what consideration is being given to increasing spending; and what comparative information they have on spending on this research:
What was spent on research into prostate cancer in each of the last five years; how much they expect to be spent in the current year; what consideration is being given to increasing spending; and what comparative information they have on spending on this research:
What was spent on research into cancer of the bowel in each of the last five years; how much they expect to be spent in the current year; what consideration is being given to increasing spending; and what comparative information they have on spending on this research:
(a) elsewhere in the European Union; and
(b) in member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development other than those in the European Union.[HL1750]
(a) elsewhere in the European Union; and
(b) in member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development other than those in the European Union.[HL1751]
(a) elsewhere in the European Union; and
(b) in member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development other than those in the European Union.[HL1752]
(a) elsewhere in the European Union; and
(b) in member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development other than those in the European Union.[HL1753]
(a) elsewhere in the European Union; and
(b) in member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development other than those in the European Union.[HL1754]
What was spent on research into liver cancer in each of the last five years; how much they expect to be spent in the current year; what consideration is being given to increasing spending; and what comparative information they have on spending on this research:
(a) elsewhere in the European Union; and
(b) in member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development other than those in the European Union.[HL1755]
Baroness Jay of Paddington: Identified expenditure on government-funded cancer research in the last five years is given in the table.
In addition to the above, a large amount of basic research is being undertaken which underpins this work. For example, in 1996-97 the Medical Research Council (MRC) spent £63.5 million on the study of molecules and cells, £39.8 million on the study of genetics and health and £55.6 million on the study of infections and immunity. The cancer research charities also make a very important contribution to cancer research in the United Kingdom, amounting to some £122 million in 1996-97, as does the pharmaceutical industry. This funding is taken into account when consideration is being given to increasing government expenditure on cancer research.
The MRC is the main agency through which the Government support medical and clinical research, receiving its grant-in-aid from my right hon. friend the President of the Board of Trade. The council is an independent body deciding what research to support on its own expert judgment. The council is always open to new, sound scientific proposals in competition with other applications. In deciding priorities and taking decisions, the MRC takes account of Department of Health priorities, together with input from the health research community in general.
The National Health Service research and development programme is managed largely through regional offices of the NHS Executive within a national framework. National priorities for research and development are set out on the advice of the Central Research and Development Committee for the NHS (CRDC) and expert advisory groups convened under its auspices. A sub-group of CRDC has been established to review the strategic framework which determines the use of the levy and will undertake a review of research into cancer as one of five key areas identified in Our Healthier Nation, a Government Green Paper published in February 1998, copies of which are available in the Library. This review will take account of research funded by the Department of Health, other bodies in the UK and, where known, overseas.
In addition to considering current research applications on ovarian cancer, myeloma and palliation in colorectal cancer, the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Office Department of Health may embark on a Commissioned Research Initiative (CRI) in 1998. Topics have yet to be decided but may include research on early detection of colorectal cancer.
As regards comparative information on spending on this research elsewhere in the European Union and in member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development other than those in the European Union, my officials have made extensive inquiries and have been advised that this information could only be obtained by contacting the scientific attaches at each of the embassies concerned. To do this would incur disproportionate cost.
Lord Tebbit asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office (Lord Dubs): Sinn Fein agreed at its Ard Fheis on 10 May to endorse the agreement.
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Donoughue): The Government are confident that the Ministry's agency, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, will have sufficient laboratory and vessel capability to provide the research information which the Ministry seeks from it in the years leading up to and beyond the review of the common fisheries policy in 2002. The Ministry and other UK fisheries departments will also continue to commission fisheries research from other bodies.
Lord Stanley of Alderley asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Donoughue: The production of the census results for England is already on a very tight schedule, with the provisional June 1997 results published on
2 September 1997 and the final results published on
18 December 1997. The 1997 UK results were not published until 3 March 1998 due to processing difficulties in one of the UK agricultural departments. These are being addressed.
The Earl of Haddington asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Donoughue: There is one veterinary medicinal product available for the treatment of varroa disease in bees: Bayvarol Strips. This is an opaque white plastic strip containing the active ingredient flumethrin.
The Earl of Haddington asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Donoughue: The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is aware that a lack of authorised veterinary products has meant for many years that beekeepers have used preparations which have been developed for other, often industrial, purposes which they have found, probably accidentally, to have particular curative properties. In respect of most of these non-medicinal curative substances it will be clear whether or not they present a danger to consumers. The VMD is not aware of any health hazards that have arisen from the use by beekeepers over the past few years of preparations such as talc, formic or lactic acid, although there is considerable concern about a preparation called "Frow mixture" (apparently comprising nitrobenzene, petrol, ligroin, methyl salicylate and safrol) about which we are seeking further information.
The Earl of Haddington asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Scottish Office (Lord Sewel): The removal of a protection order does not give open access to freshwater
Salmon and sea trout, which are the main migratory species, are protected by separate legislation and do not come under the scope of protection orders.
1993-94 1994-95 1995-96 1996-97 1997-98
Breast cancer 836 4,677 4,132 4,325 4,339
Lung cancer 100 1,162 932 1,154 878
Cervical Cancer 113 498 445 543 460
Prostate cancer 0 8 69 141 47
Bowel cancer 131 719 972 1,497 1,766
Liver cancer 2 16 15 29 0
Whether Sinn Fein has yet signed the recent Northern Ireland Agreement.[HL1643]
Whether they are confident that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will retain sufficient laboratory and vessel capability to provide all the research information that will be required:
(a) during the process of reforming the common fisheries policy; and
(b) in the years after the common fisheries policy has been reformed, that is, beyond 31 December 2002.[HL1769]What steps they intend to take to bring forward the date of publication of the Annual June Agricultural Census.[HL1756]
Whether they will publish in the Official Report the guidelines by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on which drugs are most appropriate for the treatment of varroa disease in bees.[HL1865]
Whether they will list the preparations known to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate for use in combating varroa disease in bees; and which of these preparations have caused concern to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, stating the findings.[HL1866]
In the light of their proposals to give open access to freshwater and rivers by removing the protection
19 May 1998 : Column WA169order on trout and coarse fish angling on the rivers Tweed and Tay in Scotland, what consideration they have given to the protection of other species of migratory fish and their conservation and management.[HL1814]
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