Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the (a) level of rollout completion and (b) uptake rates of lung cancer screening programmes in each area where those services have been commissioned.

The National Lung Cancer Screening Programme is designed to identify lung cancer at an earlier stage, particularly among people at highest risk. The programme offers screening to individuals aged 55 to 74 years old with a history of smoking, recognising that lung cancer disproportionately affects people living in more deprived areas.

The National Health Service is currently rolling out the programme across England. The Public Health Functions Agreement between the Department and NHS England sets a target to invite 50% of the eligible population by March 2026, with full implementation planned by the end of the decade.

To encourage uptake of lung screening, the NHS in England is directly targeting activity at areas that we know will make a difference. This includes awareness campaigns such as the NHS Help Us, Help You campaign, to increase awareness of cancer symptoms, including lung cancer, and encourage people to get checked.