Greg backs cancer campaign

He met the organisation's staff at the House of Commons.

Mr Barker spoke to Cancer Research UK Chief Executive Alex Markham about the campaign's aim to call on the government to update the NHS Cancer Plan and on the progress that had been made following the NHS announcement that it would work with cancer charities to develop a Cancer Reform Strategy.

The current Strategy, which is central to further improvements to cancer services, is due to run out in 2010 and in a bid to keep up the pressure on the government, the Cancer 2020 campaign has gathered 250,000 signatures for a petition.

Mr Barker said later: "More and more people in Bexhill and Battle are surviving cancer, which is really good news.

"Indeed, half of all cancers could be prevented by lifestyle changes so it is in our own interests that we each do all we can to reduce at a personal as well as national level.

"However, we need to ensure that the government's proposed Cancer Reform Strategy is developed in a way that compliments these efforts. Cancer Research UK's Cancer 2020 awareness campaign is essential to getting this message across."