To ask the Minister of Health to outline any steps he is taking to ensure that people can access cancer trials despite hold-ups for signing up by Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.

The Health and Social Care (HSC) Research & Development (R&D) Division within the Public Health Agency are responsible for the administration of the Department’s budgetary allocation for Research & Development, including support for research offices in each of the acute Trusts.

At present, HSC R&D do not specifically commission cancer research studies. Rather, they provide funding to cancer research infrastructure such as the Northern Ireland Cancer Trials Network (NICTN), the Belfast Experimental Medicine Centre and the Northern Ireland Biobank.

Responsibility for the approval of research studies in Belfast Health and Social Care Trust lies with the Trust Research Office.

The Trust has agreed to implement prioritised actions to meet the UK wide 150-day target for clinical trial study set-up, and funding has been provided by the HSC R&D Division in support of this.

I acknowledge the importance of cancer clinical trials and research and recognise that they have historically been underfunded in Northern Ireland.

It is clear that significant and sustained investment in cancer clinical trials and research is urgently required. However, in the context of ongoing budgetary challenges being faced by the Department, this is not possible at this point in time.