Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government has plans to take the recommendations of the Department of Health and Social Care Task and Finish Working Group report on brain tumour research, published in February 2018, into consideration when allocating budgets for brain tumour research; and what plans he has to allocate money for brain tumour research.

On 14 May the Government announced £40 million over the next five years for brain tumour research as part of the Dame Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission.

Funding will be invested through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). We are relying on researchers to submit high-quality research proposals in this very difficult area. To encourage such applications we have released a NIHR Highlight Notice on brain tumour research asking research teams to submit collaborative applications building on recent initiatives and investments including the recommendations of the Task and Finish Working Group on Brain Tumour Research. We are also working closely with research funding partners such as Cancer Research UK, the Medical Research Council, and brain tumour charities, who fund research into new scientific discoveries. We stand ready to translate these new discoveries as quickly as possible into new treatments and diagnostics for patients via the NIHR.

Applications to the NIHR for research funding are subject to scientific peer review, with awards being made on the basis of value for money, scientific quality and the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services.