On Wednesday 25th February the group met with Greg Beales, Special Advisor in Health to Gordon Brown, at 10 Downing Street.

The group then went on to the British Lung Foundation Parliamentary Reception, hosted in the House of Commons by Michael Clapham MP.

The following day the Development Group and Mr Clapham met Ann Keen MP, the Minister for Health with responsibility for cancer.

The group, which includes Adrian Budgen, believes that the argument for special case funding for NCARD is “absolutely compelling” and that it was received most favourably.

Much still needs to be done to get government approval and turn the concept of NCARD into reality. The group believes that pressure must continue to be put on the government to recognise that they have a social and moral responsibility to fund NCARD.

A National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases already exists in Australia. It was launched in December 2006 with federal government funding and its research is delivering results.

The Development Group believes that a similar centre should be set up in the UK to support the best UK research into asbestos related diseases and attract high quality researchers.