Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure equitable screening participation based on (1) socioeconomic status, (2) ethnicity, and (3) smoking status, in the targeted lung cancer screening programme.

We know that some cancers disproportionately impact those living in deprived areas, notably lung cancer. The Lung Cancer Screening Programme is designed to identify cancer at an earlier stage and is aimed at high-risk individuals or people with a history of smoking between the ages of 55 to 74 years old.

The National Health Service is currently rolling out the National Lung Cancer Screening Programme to people with a history of smoking. The public health functions agreement between NHS England and the Department sets out that the Lung Cancer Screening Programme has a target to invite 50% of the eligible population by the end of March 2026.

Additionally, reducing inequalities is a key priority for the National Cancer Plan, which will look at the targeted improvements needed across different cancer types to reduce disparities in cancer survival. This includes looking at protected characteristics, such as ethnicity, as well as inequalities related to socioeconomic status, and geographic location.