Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to raise awareness with (a) women under 35 years old and (b) minority ethnic women of the importance of regular smear tests.

Public Health England (PHE) is currently developing a campaign that will promote uptake of cervical screening. The campaign is scheduled to launch in 2019. The campaign will include activity that is targeted specifically at women from minority ethnic groups.

PHE advises the National Health Service on how to deliver screening programmes. The service specifications include standards relating to reducing inequalities in coverage and uptake.

In August 2018, PHE published ‘Cervical Screening: ideas for helping to improve access and uptake’. This provides ideas taken from a range of initiatives used to address uptake of the cervical screening programme; this includes raising awareness amongst all women eligible for cervical screening, including those under 35 years. The guidance is available to view at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cervical-screening-coverage-and-data/cervical-screening-ideas-for-improving-access-and-uptake