Women aged 25-35 will start being invited to undergo free screening for cervical cancer as from next year, Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne said in parliament this evening.

Mr Fearne confirmed this in response to a parliamentary question by the opposition's spokesman for health Claudio Grech.

Mr Grech's original question concerned maintenance agreements on apparatus at the National Screening Unit, and the parliamentary secretary confirmed that every piece of equipment was presently covered by a maintenance agreement. But the MP then asked a supplementary question on the Screening Unit's plans for next year.

The unit presently provides screening for breast cancer and colorectal cancer, and the parliamentary secretary said that as from next year, every woman aged 25-35 - cervical cancer often arises at a relatively young age - will receive an invitation to undergo screening for cervical cancer.

He said that a gynaecologist - a woman - was recruited two months ago specifically to carry out these tests.

The tests, Mr Fearne said, would be carried out in the community, including in health centres, with the parliamentary secretary stating that this was not only more convenient to patients, but also more cost-effective.

On her part, government MP Deborah Schembri asked a related question on the breast screening programme, and Mr Fearne noted that the Screening Unit sent 300 invites to women every week, and that around 60% of women who received an invitation for the first time accepted it.

He said that a second cycle of screening has already begun, and that in this case, 80% of women who receive an invitation turn up for the test.

Mr Fearne added that around 230 cases of breast cancer were found through these tests.