§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to publish updated cancer incidence statistics; what assessment she has made of the causes of delays in publication; and what proposals she has to improve the speed of publication.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe national cancer registration scheme was reviewed recently by a working group of the registrar general's medical advisory committee. The 17 recommendations in its report1 covered funding, improvements to notification, managerial control, access, confidentiality, and training. All the recommendations have been acted upon. The Department has established a steering committee, chaired by the deputy chief medical officer, to oversee the system. The Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys (OPCS) is currently redeveloping its computer system, as are several of the regional cancer registries, with the aim of improving the timeliness—without sacrificing the high ascertainment and quality—of the information. Following wide consultation, a minimum data set for cancer registration should be introduced by I July 1993 at the latest; the supply of the information to the regional cancer registries and onwards to OPCS will be mandatory. The annual reference volume for 1987, which will be published in mid-March, will contain a revised and expanded commentary on the results; it will also include estimates of cancer registrations for 1988 to 1991 inclusive.
1 Review of the national cancer registration system. OPCS Series MB 1 No. 17. HMSO, 1990. A copy is available in the Library.