To ask the Minister of Health what steps his Department is taking to deliver the implementation of targeted lung cancer screening in Northern Ireland.

The former Minister of Health, Minister Swann, accepted the recommendation by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) to introduce a targeted lung cancer screening programme for asymptomatic people with a history of smoking, aged between 55-74 years old, in tandem with the enhanced integration of smoking cessation services.

We are at the early stages of scoping out what the requirements of this new programme for Northern Ireland will be. We will be working with colleagues across Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK to establish the resources required and the likely timeline.

This will be a very significant service development encompassing new screening services and a range of additional diagnostic and treatment services. This work will require input and collaboration from multiple partners.