Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria will be used in the appointment of the independent co-chair of the National Cancer Board.

The National Cancer Plan, published on 4 February 2026, sets out several commitments and ambitions to be delivered within the next ten years, including the establishment of a reformed National Cancer Board. The role of the National Cancer Board will be to support and monitor the delivery of commitments and ambitions and provide regular updates to ministers.

It is important to choose the most suitable appointment process for selecting an independent representative to co-chair the board. Officials from NHS England and the Department are carefully following the required public appointments procedures. The criteria for the co-chair were set out in the job advert, which was published on the GOV.UK website.

The reformed National Cancer Board will be established once a co-chair is appointed, further details of which will be publicly available in due course.