Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of preventable deaths in the UK due to respiratory diseases; and what steps they are taking to address this.

The Government recognises that many respiratory diseases are associated with preventable risk factors, including smoking, air pollution, occupational exposures, poor housing conditions, and delayed diagnosis.

Data published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows that the under 75 year old mortality rate from respiratory disease considered preventable in England was 19.6 deaths per 100,000 population in 2024.

The Government is taking action to reduce respiratory disease morbidity and mortality through measures that prevent disease, improve early diagnosis, and support effective treatment, including implementation of the Tobacco and Vapes Act, support for local smoking cessation services, improvements in air quality, vaccination programmes against respiratory infections, and delivery of NHS Long Term Plan commitments on respiratory disease.

NHS England's National Respiratory Programme is focused on improving outcomes for people with respiratory disease through earlier diagnosis, better disease management, and access to effective and innovative treatments. This includes improving access to quality-assured spirometry, pulmonary rehabilitation, and earlier diagnosis of conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), supported by commissioning standards and guidance for commissioners.

NHS England, working with Health Innovation Networks, has also established a multi-year Respiratory Transformation Partnership to identify scalable approaches to reducing premature mortality, improving disease recognition, supporting the consistent delivery of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended care, and increasing access to existing and emerging biologic therapies for people living with asthma and COPD. A nationally coordinated evaluation will support evidence generation, shared learning, and future investment decisions.