Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on medical research into (a) rare and (b) paediatric cancers.

The Government’s commitment to funding cancer research has not changed because of the referendum.

Rare and paediatric cancer research, along with all cancer research, is a strong priority for the Government including through the National Institute for Health Research, which has invested £745 million in cancer research from 2010/11 to 2015/16.

My Rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister has made it clear that we want to work closely with Europe in science and research, stating in a speech on 3 March: “the UK is also committed to establishing a far-reaching science and innovation pact with the EU, facilitating the exchange of ideas and researchers. This would enable the UK to participate in key programmes alongside our EU partners”.

My Rt. hon. Friend the Chancellor has also said that the Treasury will guarantee EU structural and investment funding, promised before the Autumn Statement. He has also promised to underwrite payments for competitive EU funding awards through the Horizon 2020 underwrite guarantee, which was announced on 13 August 2016.