2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:42 pm on 11 January 2022.

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Photo of Delyth Jewell Delyth Jewell Plaid Cymru 2:42, 11 January 2022

I'd be grateful if the Trefnydd could please confirm the media reports that an urgent debate will soon be held about the change to cervical cancer screenings, after we've already heard this afternoon that over 1 million people signed petitions on this issue. I do think it's fundamentally important, because again, as we've heard, over the past week people in Wales, women in Wales, have been deeply confused and concerned because these routine cervical smear tests will now be offered every five years instead of every three years. The fact that the announcement was made on social media with a graphic that didn't explain the context or the reason for this change caused some panic.

Members have been contacted now by Public Health Wales, and the First Minister has set this out this afternoon as well, to explain that the test has changed, the cells will in future be tested for HPV infection first, and we've been assured that that is a more accurate way of screening. That is reassuring to hear, though I have been contacted by constituents who are still concerned. There are some further queries that I will be raising in any debate, but overwhelmingly, an urgent debate must surely be necessary to help quell the concerns of those women who saw that graphic online. They didn't have the contextual information. It's unlikely that the thousands upon thousands of people who've signed those petitions now know about the reason that's been given.

I know our health spokesman has written to the health Minister asking her to arrange direct communication with all of those affected to explain the change, and I really think that an urgent debate on top of this would be welcome. So, could you please confirm, Trefnydd, that those reports are accurate, and could you also tell us please whether the debate will be amendable by Members?