To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many intensity modulated radiation therapy machines are in regular use in the NHS; and if she will make a statement on progress in introducing these machines. (140407)

A survey of radiotherapy equipment is currently under way, and the results of this are expected to be published in the summer.

The survey includes questions regarding which radiotherapy centres are undertaking intensity modulated radiotherapy, and the numbers of patients they treated in the financial year 2006-07 for each disease application of the technology (prostate, lung and head and neck cancers). It does not ask centres to identify which machine(s) they are using to treat these patients.