I'd like to thank Plaid Cymru for proposing the motion before us today.

Human papillomavirus, or the easier to pronounce name HPV, is the most widespread sexually transmitted virus on the planet. It is believed four out of every five people will contract one of the 100 or so types of the virus at some point in their lives. In the vast majority of cases, the men and women infected show no outward symptoms and never know that they've contracted the virus in the first place. However, HPV infection is known to be responsible for nearly 2 per cent of all cancers in the UK. It is because of this close association with certain types of cancer—cervical cancer in particular, where it is believed that 99.7 per cent of cervical cancer is caused by HPV infection—that the decision was taken to vaccinate all girls between the ages of 12 and 18. At the time, it was considered too costly to vaccinate boys in order to combat cervical cancer. However, evidence has emerged linking type 16 and type 18 HPV to anal, penile, and some head and neck cancers.

This evidence is reaffirmed by the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation’s interim statement on extending HPV vaccination to adolescent boys. The JCVI allude to the strengthening evidence on the association between HPV and non-cervical cancers. However, the JCVI are minded to rule against the routine immunisation of young men because the modelling they used shows that it is not cost-effective. But how can it be cost-effective to not immunise teenage boys? We are looking at a few hundred pounds per teenage boy vaccinated, against the cost of those boys or the girls they come into sexual contact with developing cancer in the future.

Even if we were to ignore the benefits to the boys of immunising against certain head and neck cancers and certain anal and penile cancers, we can’t ignore the benefits in increasing protection against cervical cancer. The models used in developing the HPV vaccination programme for girls assumed uptake rates of over 80 per cent. Evidence obtained by Cancer Research UK shows that, in some local authority areas, uptake is as low as 44 per cent. This will not offer herd protection, and therefore we need to immunise adolescent boys, as well as girls, if we are able to have any chance of combating cervical cancer.

This is also an equality issue: why is it okay to expose young men to a virus that could lead to them developing head or neck cancer when there is a proven and effective vaccine, just because it’s not as cost-effective as it is in young women?

I urge Members to support Plaid Cymru’s motion today and to reject the Welsh Government’s amendment. The JCVI made it clear a year ago that they wouldn’t support extending the vaccine to adolescent males on cost grounds. Unless they have listened and updated their modelling, they are unlikely to change that view. We need to act now, not wait another few years for the policies to catch up with the evidence. Thank you. Diolch yn fawr.