Chloe welcomes progress from brain tumour debate

Chloe Smith, MP for Norwich North, has welcomed the Government’s admission that more can be done to tackle brain tumours.

In what was described as a vindication of the petitions committee process, a packed chamber saw MPs debate for 3 hours on how best to close gaps in existing research and better support those affected.

Responding to the debate, the Minister for Life Sciences, George Freeman, stressed that progress had been made but added that this was not a reason not to do more.

Speaking to MPs the Minister said:

“We formally accept that more needs to be done. The case has been made that we need to look carefully at what we can do. As the report recommends, I will be asking the NIHR to look at publishing a national register that considers how we spend public funds across research of different disease areas and different organs by therapeutic area, not least because it is a powerful way of helping to draw in co-investment from industry and charities. I shall be raising those issues with the MRC and, having recently convened the NIHR Parliament day, suggesting that at next year’s NIHR Parliament day we come back with that register and that breakdown of information.

“We should look at issues around earlier diagnosis. I am prepared to announce today that we should specifically include brain cancer in the Genomics England programme, which is dealing with rare diseases and cancers, to make sure that it is properly picked up, and to talk to NICE about the point made about its guidance procedures. To pull all this together, I want to suggest that I should convene a task and finish working group in the Department of Health to touch on other issues that have been raised, including data collection, trials, off-label drugs, research barriers and skills.”

Commenting on the Minister’s response Chloe said:

“I welcome the Minister’s commitment to action. Publishing how research funds are spent is a good move, and I hope that we’ll see more co-operation with industry and charities going forward. Specifically including brain cancer in the Genomics England programme is a big step forward.

“I was glad to take part in this debate, having listened to the personal stories of a number of constituents, and I will be following the work of Department of Health’s task and finish working group closely in the months ahead.”