HL Deb 21 January 1999 vol 596 cc118-9WA
Lord Stoddart of Swindon

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the annual public expenditure in the United Kingdom on:

  1. (a) breast cancer screening;
  2. (b) prostate cancer screening;
  3. (c) the treatment of breast cancer;
  4. (d) the treatment of prostate cancer.
[HL417]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Hayman)

Annual public expenditure for breast cancer screening in the United Kingdom is £47.5 million. Figures for spending on screening for prostate cancer cannot be provided as screening is not routinely offered by the National Health Service, following the advice of the National Screening Committee.

Expenditure on treatment for different forms of cancer cannot be identified. The estimated total expenditure for 1997–98 was £41.7 billion. Of this an estimated £2.7 billion was spent on cancer treatment.