Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much, and what percentage of total research expenditure, has been spent on research into (1) Oligodendroglioma, (2) Glioblastoma, (3) Astrocytoma, and (4) Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, brain tumour types in the last decade.

Government responsibility for delivering cancer research is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation.

The Department of Health and Social Care’s investment in the NIHR facilitates the direct funding of research projects through NIHR programmes, support for researchers to develop and conduct research through NIHR translational infrastructure, and a workforce to deliver research on behalf of other funders through NIHR research delivery infrastructure.

The following table shows the amount the Department, through the NIHR, committed to research for oligodendroglioma, glioblastoma, astrocytoma, and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma between the financial years 2015/16 to 2024/25:

As NIHR infrastructure primarily funds staff and National Health Service support costs for research delivery, the spend is not directly attributable to specific research studies for the most part, but an estimate is derived based on the number of studies in brain tumour research against the annual infrastructure spend, and is included in the above figures.

The data does fluctuate due to changes such as contract variations and updated information regarding financial reconciliations and support activity.

A breakdown of the percentage of the total research expenditure is not available. This is because much of the NIHR’s investments are for cross-cutting cancer research activities within the NHS and wider health and care system, including research facilities and workforce, known as NIHR infrastructure. In addition, the NIHR cancer research portfolio contains non-specific brain cancer research projects, which will add to the evidence base for the different types of tumours.

The NIHR continues to welcome high-quality applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including brain cancer. 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 the public and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.