Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that the remainder of the £40 million funding for brain tumour research announced by his Department as part of the establishment of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission Brain Tumour Research is disbursed to support scientific research on brain tumours; and if he will provide funding to increase the number of NHS staff qualified to provide services and support to brain tumour patients.

The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is continuing to encourage applications for research in this difficult area. The NIHR is also planning and funding workshops via the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission to support researchers in submitting high quality research applications in order to increase this small research community.

Spending Review 2020 provides £260 million to continue to increase the National Health Service workforce and support commitments made in the NHS Long Term Plan, including continuing to take forward the Cancer Workforce Plan - Phase One. Full details on funding allocations towards NHS workforce budgets, including Health Education England, in 2021-22 will be published in due course. This will cover the whole cancer workforce including those providing services for brain cancer patients.