Successive Governments had the opportunity to put in place some type of breast screening programme but failed to do so. It only commenced, therefore, in March 2000 on a phased basis. The experience gained in phase one will facilitate the process of planning and organising the roll out of the programme nationwide. We have to start somewhere and we have to accept that there must be a phase one. From that phase we will gain the experience that is required to roll out a national programme. To the end of August this year, almost 92,000 women had been called for screening and over 68,000 women had been screened, representing an uptake of 74%. That will assist in ensuring the active rolling out of the nationwide programme.