Written questions by Bacon.

What steps he is planning to take to ensure that the final Equality Impact Assessment for the prostate cancer screening recommendation does not (a) continue and (b) worsen existing health inequalities for black men.

On 28 November, the UK National Screening Committee opened a 12-week public consultation on a draft recommendation on screening for prostate cancer. We anticipate a final recommendation in early 2026. After which, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will make a decision on whether to accept the recommendation, and what next steps are needed. Any policy developed from the recommendation will be supported by an equality impact assessment to ensure that health inequality that could be caused by the policy will be mitigated against.

Whether the National Screening Council plans to review its advice on Prostate Specific Antigen testing.

The UK National Screening Committee’s (UK NSC) evidence review for prostate cancer screening is already underway, and plans to report within the UK NSC’s three-year work plan. The evidence review includes modelling the clinical cost effectiveness of several approaches to prostate cancer screening, and will encompass different potential ways of screening the whole population from 40 years of age onwards, and targeted screening aimed at groups of people identified as being at higher than average risk, such as black men or men with a family history of cancer.