Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2023 to Question 192241 on Cancer: Research, what steps the Government plans to take to ensure an adequate (a) level and (b) coordination of cancer research, in the context of the closure of the National Cancer Research Institute.

The Government is monitoring the situation through the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Medical Research Council to ensure that the National Cancer Research Institute’s (NCRI) valuable assets, such as data, and activities, such as research groups, are not lost to the community.

The Government will also take necessary steps to support the cancer research ecosystem, in discussion with NCRI partners, if additional support is needed.

Funders will continue to work with the research community to deliver cancer research that meets the needs of patients and the public.

We recognise the leadership role that Cancer Research UK has in this area and will work in partnership with them and the patient community to improve care and outcomes for all.