I am pledging my support for the new Breast Cancer Campaign which is campaigning for more funding for vital research.

Around 46,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK each year and one woman in nine in the UK will be diagnosed in her lifetime. Research is needed to further improve treatments and survival rates for women affected by breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Campaign's mission is to beat breast cancer by funding innovative world-class research to understand how breast cancer develops, leading to improved diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure. They are currently supporting 113 research projects in the UK and Ireland, worth over £15.5 million.

The government is aiding in this research via the Charity Research Support Fund (CRSF).  The CRSF was set up by the Labour Government to ensure that research carried about by charities was able to continue. As charities rely on the goodwill donations of the general public, they only fund the direct cost research. The CRSF provides a partnership between charities and the Government enabling vital world class research to take place that ultimately benefits patients and ensures charity funding is used to its greatest effect.

The research has allowed serious developments to be made in the understanding and treatment of breast cancer. It has helped scientists to, amongst many things; identify the genes involved with breast cancer; ensure a more individualised treatment of patients so they can receive treatment that suits them; and has also enabled training of specialists so that 42% of specialist nurses now work for the NHS.

It is hugely important that we ensure charities such as Breast Cancer Research are helped access the funds they need so they can do vital research. I am very proud of the work this government does with charities and without the CRSF, there would be serious repercussions on the ability of charities to fund medical research.

I look forward to working with Breast Cancer Campaign to help them save even more lives.

For more information on the Breast Cancer Campaign visit www.breastcancercampaign.org/election