Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will commission a strategy on the (a) research, (b) diagnosis and (c) management of cancer.

The NHS Long-Term Plan published in January 2019 sets out the National Health Service’s key ambitions on cancer, including acknowledging the importance of research and cancer management. The Plan also sets out the NHS ambition to increase the number of cancers diagnosed at stage one and two to 75% by 2028 and to increase the number of people surviving cancer for five years by 55,000 as a result.

Lord Ara Darzi is currently undertaking an independent investigation into the state of the NHS, the findings of which will feed into the Government’s 10-year plan to build a health service that is fit for the future. The Government will set out any further priorities on cancer and health in due course.