Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the volume of preventable deaths in the UK due to respiratory diseases; and what steps he plans to take to address this.

Data held for England shows that in 2024 there were 9,609 deaths in people aged under 75 years old where the death was due to respiratory disease and considered preventable. This data is available at the following link:

https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/respiratory-disease/data

Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of respiratory disease and respiratory death. The landmark Tobacco and Vapes Act will help deliver our ambition for a smoke-free United Kingdom.

The Government is also improving access to earlier diagnosis of respiratory disease through community diagnostic centres, helping more people to access respiratory testing closer to home.