Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help prevent the occurrence of cancers in women linked to obesity.

Obesity is the second biggest preventable cause of cancer, and the government is taking steps to tackle obesity and help prevent the occurrence of cancers linked to this, including in women. New regulations on out-of-home calorie labelling for food sold in large businesses including restaurants, cafes and takeaways and Regulations restricting the placement of less healthy products in key selling locations in store and online came into force in 2022. We are also working with the food industry to ensure it is easier for the public to make healthier choices and make further progress on reformulation. On 7 June 2023, as part of action to treat those who are already living with obesity, the Government announced plans for a two-year pilot backed by up to £40 million to look at ways of expanding access to new weight loss drugs outside of a hospital setting.

Furthermore, increasing the early diagnosis rates of cancers is a priority for this government. Several organisations, including the Department, are taking steps across England to increase diagnosis rates including setting stretching ambitions, supporting general practitioners (GPs) in referring patients, expanding diagnostic capacity, and enabling more precise diagnosis through technology.

Backed by £2.3 billion of capital funding, the department is expanding diagnostic capacity across the National Health Service by rolling out more community diagnostic centres (CDCs), delivering vital tests, scans, and checks. With 136 CDCs open already and up to 160 set to open by March 2025, these offer millions of patients the chance to access quicker, more convenient checks outside of hospitals, with capacity prioritised for cancer. This is contributing to the elective recovery delivery plan ambition for 75% of patients urgently referred by their GP for suspected cancer to receive a diagnosis or have cancer ruled out within 28 days.