(1 day, 6 hours ago)
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Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Lab)
My Lords, I want to say a few words about the genuine cross-party co-operation in getting the Bill to this point. This has been this House and the other place at their best. I shall say a few thanks, first to Dr Scott Arthur MP, who introduced the Bill in the other place, supported forcefully—I think that is the word—by our dear friend Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP, who was so personally affected by the issues in the Bill.
The implementation of what is in the Bill will make a difference to the 55% of people who die of a rare cancer. I met a young man the other day who had lost both parents to glioblastoma, and he was overjoyed that we were doing this. That is something that we as public servants need to remember when we debate issues in this House: what we do and say has a real impact on people out there whose lives are affected by the laws we make.
On a very positive note, we should remember today dear friends from this place who have passed, Baroness Margaret McDonagh and Baroness Tessa Jowell, who lost their lives to one of these rare cancers. They were both formidable women who were struck down in the prime of their time, and we should not forget that.
I thank all noble Lords who made very personal speeches at Second Reading, telling their own stories about themselves and their families and friends. I say a personal thank you to them for that. I thank everyone for their support in getting the Bill to this point.
Lord Blencathra (Con)
My Lords, I spoke to this excellent little Bill at Second Reading and said that I wanted to table an amendment to put the Royal Marsden hospital front and centre in new subsection (3)(b) inserted by Clause 2(b), which states,
“ensure that a person (to be known as ‘the National Specialty Lead for Rare Cancers’) is appointed with a job description that includes promoting and facilitating research into rare cancers by … providing advice in relation to the design and planning of research, and … facilitating collaboration between interested persons”.
I did not table such an amendment because the Bill would not then have cleared our parliamentary timetable. However, I press the Minister on the essential need, in my opinion, to have the Royal Marsden involved in that section; either it should have the national specialty lead or the job description of that person must involve the Marsden.
The Royal Marsden is the greatest rare cancer specialist hospital in Europe and in the top four in the whole world. Since Second Reading on 16 January, the Royal Marsden has announced on 10 February a new £1 billion expansion of its world-leading cancer hub, together with the Institute of Cancer Research. It will be the largest cancer treatment and research facility anywhere in the world, and it is just three miles away from this place. If we want the Bill to succeed, I ask the Minister to please put the world’s best people in charge.
The Earl of Effingham (Con)
My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Elliott of Whitburn Bay, for the skill and care with which she has steered this Bill through your Lordships’ House. This is a measured and important piece of legislation that has attracted cross-party support. It addresses an area of clear and long-standing need, and it does so in a way that reflects the lived experience of patients and families, particularly those affected by rarer and less well-understood cancers, who too often feel overlooked within the system.
Throughout the Bill’s stages, we have heard moving contributions from noble Lords with personal experience of these issues. We congratulate the daughter of the noble Baroness, Lady Elliott, on braving a skydive to raise money for her teacher’s charity. Every individual contribution from people who work tirelessly to combat cancer and support those living with its impact makes a real difference.
His Majesty’s loyal Opposition support the noble Baroness, Lady Elliott, Dr Scott Arthur and the Bill itself, and we look forward to seeing it receive Royal Assent.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care (Baroness Merron) (Lab)
My Lords, I am delighted to reaffirm government support for this important Bill. It will make a real difference for rare cancer patients and, as my noble friend Lady Elliott said, it stands as a real tribute and an amount of change to the memory of those we have lost, including our noble friends Baroness McDonagh and Baroness Jowell.
I have been touched to hear that charities have referred to this as a Bill of hope, and I hope that is what it will be. It aligns with our ambition to strengthen the UK’s research landscape and improve outcomes for all those affected by a rare cancer. It also complements the recently published national cancer plan, which will drive improvements in prevention, diagnosis, treatment and research across the country.
I am pleased to confirm to the noble Lord, Lord Blencathra, that the new brain tumour research consortium will be led by the Royal Marsden hospitals, as well as working with hospitals all across the country. It is certainly expected that they will be consulted when we are looking for the person who will be the specialty lead.
I am most grateful to all those who contributed throughout the passage of this Bill, in particular to my noble friend Lady Elliott for her committed leadership and sensitivity to this matter in bringing this important legislation forward. Many noble Lords engaged so constructively at Second Reading and I wish to thank them all, as well as those advocates in the other place, including Dr Scott Arthur, who led on the Bill. This Government are determined to go further for everyone diagnosed with a rare cancer. I am delighted that we are supporting this Bill and that it has been so strongly supported across Parliament, both in the other place and in your Lordships’ House.