Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what impact assessment was made of the decision to withdraw the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme guidance; and whether his Department considered the findings of the Cochrane review entitled Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test for prostate cancer screening by Franco et al, published on 15 May 2026.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Despite some recent misinformed media coverage, I can confirm to the Hon. Members that there has been no change to the policy in respect of prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing for men aged over 50 years old. Any such man who is concerned about prostate cancer, regardless of whether they have symptoms, remains free to make an appointment with their general practitioner, raise their concerns, and ask for a PSA test, exactly as they have done in the past. No impact assessment was therefore made when the guidance in this area was consolidated and updated in June, as there was no change in policy to assess.

The two main studies from the Cochrane review were included in the UK National Screening Committee modelling when they made their most recent recommendation regarding prostate cancer screening, and it should be noted that the Cochrane review came to the same statistical conclusions as the UK National Screening Committee regarding ‘mortality reduction", sometimes called lives saved, from PSA testing and subsequent treatment.

With regard to the next review of prostate cancer screening, I refer the Hon. Members to the article published by the UK National Screening Committee on 11 August 2026, which is available at the following link:

https://nationalscreening.blog.gov.uk/2026/08/11/the-uk-nscs-prostate-cancer-screening-model-will-remain-open-and-under-review/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the findings of the Cochrane review entitled Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test for prostate cancer screening by Franco et al, published on 15 May 2026.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Despite some recent misinformed media coverage, I can confirm to the Hon. Members that there has been no change to the policy in respect of prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing for men aged over 50 years old. Any such man who is concerned about prostate cancer, regardless of whether they have symptoms, remains free to make an appointment with their general practitioner, raise their concerns, and ask for a PSA test, exactly as they have done in the past. No impact assessment was therefore made when the guidance in this area was consolidated and updated in June, as there was no change in policy to assess.

The two main studies from the Cochrane review were included in the UK National Screening Committee modelling when they made their most recent recommendation regarding prostate cancer screening, and it should be noted that the Cochrane review came to the same statistical conclusions as the UK National Screening Committee regarding ‘mortality reduction", sometimes called lives saved, from PSA testing and subsequent treatment.

With regard to the next review of prostate cancer screening, I refer the Hon. Members to the article published by the UK National Screening Committee on 11 August 2026, which is available at the following link:

https://nationalscreening.blog.gov.uk/2026/08/11/the-uk-nscs-prostate-cancer-screening-model-will-remain-open-and-under-review/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the UK National Screening Committee will next review its recommendation on prostate cancer screening.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Despite some recent misinformed media coverage, I can confirm to the Hon. Members that there has been no change to the policy in respect of prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing for men aged over 50 years old. Any such man who is concerned about prostate cancer, regardless of whether they have symptoms, remains free to make an appointment with their general practitioner, raise their concerns, and ask for a PSA test, exactly as they have done in the past. No impact assessment was therefore made when the guidance in this area was consolidated and updated in June, as there was no change in policy to assess.

The two main studies from the Cochrane review were included in the UK National Screening Committee modelling when they made their most recent recommendation regarding prostate cancer screening, and it should be noted that the Cochrane review came to the same statistical conclusions as the UK National Screening Committee regarding ‘mortality reduction", sometimes called lives saved, from PSA testing and subsequent treatment.

With regard to the next review of prostate cancer screening, I refer the Hon. Members to the article published by the UK National Screening Committee on 11 August 2026, which is available at the following link:

https://nationalscreening.blog.gov.uk/2026/08/11/the-uk-nscs-prostate-cancer-screening-model-will-remain-open-and-under-review/

National strategy for fertility

Dolly Parton

Miscarriage care

Funding of Jodrell Bank Observatory

Passing of global icon and philanthropist Dolly Parton

Nelson Mandela Day

30th anniversary of the State Visit of President Nelson Mandela of the Republic of South Africa to the United Kingdom

Emmeline Pankhurst Day

Security for at-risk MPs

Found: Yours sincerely, Mr Toby Perkins MP Chair, Environmental Audit Committee

Found: Environmental Audit Committee member present: Mr Toby Perkins.

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Mr Toby Perkins (Chair); Julia Buckley; Jonathan Davies; Barry Gardiner

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Mr Toby Perkins (Chair); Julia Buckley; Jonathan Davies; Barry Gardiner

Found: Toby Perkins MP Chair, Environmental Audit Committee House of Commons London SW1A 0AA

Found: Security & Net Zero 55 Whitehall London SW1A 2HP 3 September 2026 Toby Perkins

Found: I am standing in as Chair for Toby Perkins, who is unavailable this afternoon.

Found: Correspondence from Toby Perkins MP relating to e-petition 751472 dated 23 July 2026 Correspondence

Found: I have also written to Toby Perkins, Chair of the Environmental Audit Council (EAC) in parallel.

Found: am placing a copy of this letter in the House libraries and have written on similar terms to Toby Perkins

Found: Yours sincerely, Mr Toby Perkins MP Chair, Environmental Audit Committee

Found: T: +44 (0) 3459 335577 E: [email protected] W: gov.uk/defra Toby Perkins

Found: Toby Perkins MP Chair, Environmental Audit Committee House of Commons London SW1A 0AA

Found: Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Seacole Building 2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF Toby Perkins

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Mr Toby Perkins (Chair); Julia Buckley; Jonathan Davies; Barry Gardiner

Found: ambition, co-ordination and delivery.26 The chair of the Commons Environmental Audit Committee, Toby Perkins

Submit Evidence (by 21 Oct 2026)

In its latest advice to the government, the CCC said that climate change is already disrupting life in the UK and said that the UK’s national approach to climate adaption is “not fit for purpose”. It has also argued that the government’s third National Adaptation Plan (NAP3) is not adequately preparing the UK for climate change.