Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to increase levels of research into rare and less common cancers.

Overall investment in cancer research by the Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has increased from £102 million in 2009/10 to £130 million in 2013/14.

The usual practice of the Department's 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 rare and less common cancers. 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 health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. In all disease areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity.