To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans NHS primary care trusts have to extend bowel cancer screenings to those aged 70 to 74 in the current year. [HL1495]

This year the National Health Service bowel cancer screening programme will be extended to men and women aged 70 to 75. Five sites have been piloting the extension to men and women aged 70 to 75 since 2009. The pilots have progressed well with no major problems. The NHS Operating Framework in England 2010-11 stated that all primary care trusts need to work with their cancer networks to ensure that all screening services have extended bowel cancer screening offered to men and women aged 70-75 from 2010. The phased extension is being managed by the NHS cancer screening programmes.