Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Long Term Plan and NHS Planning Guidance commitments for 2019-20, what progress his Department has made on offering whole genome sequencing to (a) seriously ill children who are likely to have a rare genetic disorder, (b) children with cancer and (c) adults suffering from certain rare conditions or specific cancers; and if he will make a statement.

The Government is committed to making the United Kingdom a leader genomic healthcare; the new NHS Genomic Medicine Service and the Long Term Plan commitments on genomics are central to achieving this. Building on the 100,000 Genomes Project and existing genetic services, NHS England announced in October 2018 that over the next 18 months work to mobilise the NHS Genomic Medicine Service would get underway.

The NHS Long Term Plan included a commitment to introduce whole genome sequencing as part of routine clinical care and to sequence 500,000 whole genomes by 2023/24. NHS England is working with the NHS and Genomics England to support the implementation of whole genome sequencing during 2019 for seriously ill children who are likely to have a rare genetic disorder, children with cancer, and adults suffering from certain rare conditions or specific cancers.