Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the four out of 10 cases of cancer which are preventable.

The Government recognises the importance of primary and secondary prevention, to reduce the number of people with cancer.

There are significant national programmes across vaccination, screening, and education, which have the potential to support both reductions in cases of cancer, and increases in early diagnosis rates. For example, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination has led to a substantial reduction in cervical cancer cases. All children aged 12 to 13 years old in England, those in Year 8, are offered the HPV vaccine, and NHS England is taking action to increase uptake, as outlined in the NHS Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan. In addition, the NHS Cervical Screening Programme provides all women between the ages of 25 and 64 years old with the opportunity to be screened routinely to detect certain types of HPV infection, which is the cause of 99.7% of cervical cancer.

Smoking is the cause of 72% of all lung cancers, and in response to this, the Government is committed to creating a smoke-free generation through the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will gradually end the sale of tobacco products across the country.

The Government and the National Health Service also recognise that a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the biggest risk factors of certain cancers. To address risks related to overweight and obesity across the United Kingdom, the Government has laid secondary legislation to restrict advertisements of less healthy food and drink products, and is taking steps to ensure the Soft Drinks Industry Levy remains effective. In England, to promote physical activity, the NHS’s Better Health Campaign signposts people to digital support like the NHS Active 10 walking app. The Department will continue to work across the Government to understand how to reduce alcohol-related harms in England and the UK. The Government and the NHS recognise the importance of physical activity for the prevention and management of long-term health conditions.

The National Cancer Plan, planned for publication later this year, will set out how we will fight cancer on all fronts, from prevention to diagnosis, treatment, and research.