Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to increase research funding for pancreatic cancer treatments.

The usual practice of the Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics: research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including pancreatic cancer treatment. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and the National Health Service, value for money and scientific quality.

In August 2011, the Government announced £800 million investment over five years in a series of NIHR Biomedical Research Centres and Units, including £61.5 million funding for the Royal Marsden/Institute of Cancer Research Biomedical Research Centre, and £6.5 million funding for the Liverpool Biomedical Research Unit in gastrointestinal disease (which has a major focus on pancreatic cancer treatment). Some research they conduct is relevant to multiple cancer sites.

Pharmaceutical companies work in partnership with NIHR research infrastructure. The NIHR Clinical Research Network is currently hosting six pancreatic cancer treatment studies that are recruiting patients and have commercial funders. Commercial partners also work with the NIHR Biomedical Research Centres and Units, and with the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres (jointly funded by NIHR and Cancer Research UK).