Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of expanding eligibility for the human papillomavirus vaccination to all young adults under the age of 25, irrespective of sex or sexual orientation.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is offered routinely to all adolescents in school Year 8, and catch-up vaccination is available up to and including 25 years of age for females and for males born on or after 1 September 2006 who missed vaccination through the school-aged programme. HPV vaccination is also recommended for gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men up to and including 45 years of age.

The Department keeps all vaccination programmes under review, taking into account the latest scientific evidence and the advice of the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). Any future changes to eligibility would be informed by the latest evidence and advice from the JCVI.

As part of the Government's 10-Year Health Plan, the Department is developing plans to expand access to HPV catch-up vaccination through community pharmacies for young people who missed vaccination at school, supporting the ambition to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.