§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Government's proposals for reducing cancer deaths among people living in poverty in the UK. [114174]
§ Yvette Cooper[holding answer 13 March 2000]: The "Saving Lives—Our Healthier Nation" White Paper has a central aim to improve the health of the worst off in society and narrow the health gap. It set a target to reduce death rates from cancer by 20 per cent. in those under 75 by 2010. This will involve dealing with the broader determinants of health (eg poverty, social exclusion etc.), addressing risk factors (eg by providing smoking cessation clinics in Health Action Zones), encouraging early detection and uptake of screening (especially in deprived groups and ethnic minorities), and by ensuring equity of access to high quality cancer treatment across the country as part of our national strategy to improve cancer services.