Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the British Lung Foundation about progressing research into mesothelioma, and in particular taking research using adult stem cells to clinical trials.

Prior to the establishment of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) in April 2006, the main part of the total health research expenditure of the Department of Health was devolved to and managed by National Health Service organisations. The NHS organisations reported on their use of these allocations in annual research and development reports. These reports identify total, aggregated expenditure on national priority areas, including cancer. They do not provide details of research into particular cancer sites. From April 2006 to March 2009, transitional research funding was allocated to these organisations at reducing levels. At the same time, an increasing amount of NHS research funding was awarded competitively through new NIHR programmes and schemes.

Expenditure by the NIHR through research programmes, research centres and units, and research training awards on mesothelioma research is shown in the following table:

Total spend by the NIHR on mesothelioma research is higher than this because expenditure by the NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) on this topic cannot be disaggregated from total CRN expenditure.

The NIHR invests in infrastructure for experimental medicine to translate scientific developments into benefits for patients. This infrastructure includes biomedical centres and units, clinical research facilities, and experimental cancer medicine centres. The NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University College London has contributed to the funding of recent research on the use of TRAIL (tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand)-expressing mesenchymal stem cells to reduce tumour growth in malignant mesothelioma.

The following table provides expenditure by the Medical Research Council on research related to mesothelioma over the past six years. Information on spend from 2004-05 to 2007-08 was not available within the timescale.

In April 2014, I convened a high level meeting between the Association of British Insurers and the British Lung Foundation (BLF) to discuss how insurers can remain engaged in support for mesothelioma research. Two insurers – Aviva and Zurich – who participated in the earlier donation by insurers of £3 million to the BLF, have agreed to each donate £250,000 per annum to the BLF for mesothelioma research over the next two years – a combined total of £1 million.