Cancer treatment waiting times

That this House is concerned that cancer treatment waiting lists are increasing as a consequence of the covid-19 pandemic; notes with further concern that vital cancer diagnoses are being missed, with data from Public Health England showing that 106,732 cases were diagnosed between April and September 2020, down from 142,324 over the same period in 2019; recognises the commitment shown by NHS staff over the summer while the threat from covid-19 was lower in attempting to reduce cancer waiting lists; expresses concern that the increasing seriousness of covid-19 has since resulted in tens of thousands more people continuing to miss cancer diagnoses; supports the need for urgent action to prevent what could be thousands of cancer deaths due to missed diagnoses or treatment delays; and calls on the Government to urgently publish an action plan setting a target for the backlog of cancer treatments to be cleared.