Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to reduce levels of bowel cancer in the UK.

Since 2019, the National Health Service Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP) in England has issued a faecal immunochemical test (FIT) kit to eligible people for use at home, which can detect changes in the bowel which, if left untreated, could lead to cancer. The FIT kit requires one sample to be taken and replaced the previous test which required three samples, which has increased uptake in England.

The FIT home testing kit is currently available to everyone aged 60 to 74 years old and the majority of 56-year-olds. The NHS BCSP is expanding the FIT kit offer to 58-year-olds and the programme will be offered to all those aged 50 to 74 years old by 2025. In 2023, an NHS bowel cancer screening communications and marketing campaign is planned to increase the uptake of the FIT home testing kit in eligible people across England.

Obesity can increase the likelihood of developing bowel cancer therefore we have introduced measures to help people to achieve and maintain a healthier weight. New Regulations on out-of-home calorie labelling for out of home food sold in large businesses including restaurants, cafes and takeaways came into force on 6 April 2022. These aim to ensure people can make more informed, healthier choices when eating food out or ordering takeaways. We are also working to make the food and drink that is available to consumers healthier through reformulation programmes.

Reducing tobacco use and supporting smokers to quit can prevent 15 types of cancers, including bowel cancer. An independent review of the Government’s tobacco control policies led by Javed Khan, published on 9 June 2022, makes recommendations to support the Government’s ambition for England to be smoke-free by 2030. We are currently considering the recommendations to inform a new Tobacco Control Plan.