Our roundup of the latest political news relevant to brain tumours

Brain Tumour Research

2 min read

Budget 2020

Chancellor Rishi Sunak presented his Budget to Parliament on Wednesday 11^th March. In terms of science and research A headline was an increase in investment for science, innovation and technology to £22 billion by 2024-25. This is promising, but full judgment will have to be made when we know more detail about the plans, set to be laid out in the forthcoming Spending Review.

Brain Tumour Research was pleased to see £12 million of funding for the National Institute of Health Research, as we hoped to see in our blog previewing the Budget. We also welcome extra funding for the Institute of Cancer Research.

The Budget also provided more detail on the Government’s Life Science Investment Programme (which we blogged about here). The Budget provides the British Business Bank with £200 million for a new dedicated equity investment programme that, invested alongside private sector capital, is expected to enable £600 million of investment to support the UK’s best health and life science innovations.

Of course, COVID-19 (a.k.a Coronavirus) featured heavily in the Budget, with £30 million made available for research into the disease.

COVID-19 and Cancer

Brain Tumour Research has joined with other members of One Cancer Voice, a coalition of leading cancer charities, to develop a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the COVID-19 infection (more commonly known as Coronavirus) and cancer.

The FAQs cover concerns relevant to current patients, those who have had cancer in the past and family/friends of people living with cancer.

The FAQs will be particularly relevant to members of the brain tumour community who:

Are currently having chemotherapy, or who have received chemotherapy in the last three months.
Are currently undergoing immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer.
Are currently receiving other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system.