Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is he taking to improve access to innovative treatments for patients diagnosed with rare cancers.

The Department of Health and Social Care is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with rare cancers, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.

The National Cancer Plan, which is due to be published later this year, will include details on how cancer research will be supported, ensuring all cancer patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, as well as speeding up diagnosis.

The Government also supports the Rare Cancers Bill and its ambitions to incentivise clinical trials and access to innovative treatments for rare cancers. The Department is working to fast-track clinical trials to drive global investment into life sciences, improve health outcomes and accelerate the development of medicines and therapies of the future, including for rare cancers. DHSC invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority.