Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure greater levels of genetic testing for cancer and ultra rare diseases; and if he will make a statement.

Data on existing levels of genetic testing are not held centrally by NHS England. The UK Genetic Testing Network is working with NHS England, the devolved administrations and the Health and Social Care Information Centre to collect and publish United Kingdom-wide data on molecular genetic testing activity. Data collection is expected to have been completed by the summer of 2016 with a full update prepared for publication by the end of the year.

The creation of regional Genomic Medicine Centre as part of the 100,000 Genomes Project will significantly increase genomic testing capacity across the UK.

The project aims to sequence 100,000 whole human genomes and covers patients with rare diseases, cancer and infectious diseases. There will be 75,000 participants in the project, 40,000 of which will be patients and 35,000 of which will be healthy relatives.