Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 25 November (HL9924), what assessment they have made of the rejection of all brain tumour research applications made so far this financial year by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR); and what assessment they have made of the performance of NIHR.

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is helping researchers develop high-quality research proposals in this scientifically challenging area. To encourage such proposals, in April 2018 we called on the research community specifically for brain tumour research funding applications. There was an immediate increase in proposals which continue to be assessed by review panels of scientific experts and involving patients and public. We are relying on researchers to submit research proposals in this difficult area of research, with a number of research applications currently under consideration. The NIHR system uses a gold standard of peer review, essential in identifying and funding only those research proposals that are of high quality. An assessment of the success rate of applications to the NIHR on brain tumour research compared to all other areas grouped together reveals little difference.

The NIHR is also working with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission towards funding a workshop for researchers to support them in submitting higher quality research. Additionally, through the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce, the NIHR is working closely with NHS England, NHS Improvement and the National Cancer Research Institute to consider ways of increasing the number of high-quality research applications.