Cancer Act
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Act to make further provision for the treatment of cancer, to authorise the Minister of Health to lend money to the National Radium Trust, to prohibit certain advertisements relating to cancer, and for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid. |
|---|---|
| Territorial extent | not Northern Ireland |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 29 March 1939 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by | National Health Service Act 1946 |
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Status: Amended
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| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Text of the Cancer Act 1939 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk | |
The Cancer Act 1939 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom passed in 1939 to make further provision for the treatment of cancer, to authorise the Minister of Health to lend money to the National Radium Trust, to prohibit certain advertisements relating to cancer, and for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid. The Act does not apply in Northern Ireland.
As of December 2014, the sole remaining provision is in respect of advertising to treat or cure cancer, all other provisions having been repealed or subsumed into other legislation.
The Act's most notable provision is a clause prohibiting taking any part in publication, except under specified conditions, of advertisements that "offer to treat any person for cancer, or to prescribe any remedy therefor, or to give any advice in connection with the treatment thereof". Prosecutions do take place, but are rare.
The expression "advertisement" includes any notice, circular, label, wrapper or other document, and any announcement made orally or by any means of producing or transmitting sounds.
The Act provides for exceptions in making material available to registered medical and nursing personnel and pharmacists, and for material produced by hospitals and local authorities.
According to an answer given in the House of Commons on 12 June 2014 there were 21 convictions under the Act between 1984 and 2013, since that date there have been another three.
Convictions include:
...
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