At the end of last week, the Rare Cancers Bill passed it’s third reading in the House of Commons and it now moves across for scrutiny in the House of Lords.
This is a major milestone and we're thankful to all those who emailed their MP, raised awareness, or shared their story to help get this Bill over the line and one step closer to becoming law.
We first met with Dr Scott Arthur MP – sponsor of the Bill – in September last year and have been meeting with him and his team regularly since.
Although the Bill looked likely to have a glioblastoma focus from the outset, it has widened in its scope.
But it is still a Bill with the potential to make a real difference for brain tumour patients in three key areas:
- The appointment of an individual responsible for overseeing the delivery of research into rare cancer treatments
- A review the Orphan Drug Regulations, with respect to rare cancer treatments
- Ensuring that patients can be easily contacted about relevant research and clinical trials
Friday was a tense day as some late tabled proposals for amendments to the Bill could have derailed its progress.
Charities, supporters, and influential advocates working on a pro bono basis mobilised their communities and a torrent of emails landed in politicians in-boxes on Thursday demanding they declare support for the Bill and demonstrate this by being at Westminster on a Friday and ensuring progress was not halted.
In the end, the amendments were dropped, a passionate third reading took place, and the Bill has been cleared to the next stage of the process in the House of Lords.
So what happens next?
Heading into the Lords, the process is the same as it was in the Commons. Exact dates are unknown at this stage but we do know there will be three readings and a Committee Stage. The first reading, which is procedural, may even happen today.
Baronesses Elliott and Finlay will help guide the Bill through the Lords and Dr Scott is setting up a meeting for all of us in between summer recess and conference recess.
We think it likely that the real action won’t happen until everyone is back at Westminster in October but there is no King’s Speech this year, so there is less time pressure than there might have been.
Last week was an extraordinary piece of collaborative work which we were proud to be a part of – but we won’t take our foot off the gas. The coalition working on this Bill will do whatever we can to support a smooth passage through the Upper House.
Our cause is too important not to be approached with urgency – the urgency our community rightly demands of us. We are determined to have the Rare Cancers Bill become an Act of Parliament in 2025.
You can read full details of the Bill here: Rare Cancers Bill - Hansard - UK Parliament
Related reading:
