Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the (a) NHS is training a cancer workforce that can meet the rising burden of cancer in years to come and (b) year-on-year spend is there to support that workforce.

In 2021/22, Health Education England has invested £52 million in the cancer and diagnostics workforce. Between 2016 and 2021, the annual growth rate of the overall cancer workforce has remained between 3% to 4%. Spending plans for individual budgets for 2022/23 and beyond are subject to a detailed financial planning exercise and will be finalised in due course. This includes the education and training of the cancer workforce. The forthcoming 10 Year Cancer Plan will also ensure that the appropriate workforce is in place to deliver services.