Written questions by Maguire.

Whether his Department plans to seek participation in future EU space projects.

The Strategic Defence Review identifies space as a critical domain for national security and Defence, emphasising the importance of international collaboration to achieve the United Kingdom's (UK) defence space aspirations. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to exploring opportunities for cooperation in space that align with Defence and security commitments, working closely with cross-government partners to ensure coherence with broader UK interests and priorities. The MOD assesses participation in specific space projects on a case-by-case basis. Any decision to participate in EU space projects will be made considering strategic benefits, value for money, and alignment with national security objectives.

What estimate she has made of the potential cost to the public purse of the maintenance costs for the site that was formally the Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People.

The former site of Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People in Leatherhead is not owned by a National Health Service trust, and therefore any maintenance costs will not be met by NHS maintenance budgets.We recognise the importance of providing funding for adult social care. The Spending Review allows for an increase of over £4 billion of funding to be made available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26, to support the sector in making improvements.

With reference to the forthcoming closure of the Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People, what steps her Department is taking to ensure (a) disabled people still feel supported in travelling by air and (b) the aviation sector can access information to assist disabled passengers.

The Department for Transport is working closely with the Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People and other government departments to ensure disabled people can continue to access the mobility services they need. Aviation must be accessible for all. UK law entitles passengers to assistance from airports and airlines to help them to travel by air, with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) ensuring compliance. To strengthen support and improve aviation accessibility, the Department established the Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group, which published an independent report in July 2025. The report set out 19 recommendations across five key areas: training, passenger information and communications, mobility aid design and handling, non-visible impairments and tailored support. The Group is now focused on helping the industry implement these recommendations and will report annually to the Department on progress.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that all assistant dog handlers are treated consistently by (a) employers and (b) service providers regardless of how their dog was trained.

Assistance dogs are not funded or provided by the Government, and assistance dogs are not regulated or defined in law.There are well established dog training organisations which have international accreditation and are members of the umbrella coalition Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK). Following a Government initiative in 2017/18, a new charity was established - the Assistance Dogs Assessment Association (ADAA) - which offers a test and certificate for assistance dogs trained through sources without international accreditation. It is now possible for assistance dogs to be tested and certified as having reached a set standard, even where they are trained by a body without international accreditation.The Equality Act 2010 places a general duty on businesses and service providers to make reasonable adjustments to allow disabled people, including people with assistance dogs, access to goods and services so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people. Duties and protections under the Equality Act are ultimately enforceable through the courts, and anybody who thinks that they have been discriminated against - including where access to an assistance dog has been refused - can take legal action to seek to resolve the issue.The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act, and has published guidance on ‘Assistance Dogs: a guide for businesses and service providers’.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of increasing measures to stop the underage sale of fireworks online.

No assessment has been made of the merits of increasing measures to stop underage sale of fireworks online. There are enforcement mechanisms in place to tackle situations when fireworks are unsafe, sold illegally, or misused. Sales offences in Great Britain are enforced by Local Authority Trading Standards, and the penalty for retailers who sell to children is a fine and/or three months in prison.

Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking with his international counterparts to encourage sustainable uses of space.

The government works bilaterally and multilaterally with international partners through the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee to shape and uphold standards, norms and best practices that define the in-orbit regime. We champion adoption of the UN Long-Term Sustainability Guidelines and support capacity-building via the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs to protect access to space for future generations.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of giving local authorities the power to create firework-free zones.

No assessment has been made of the potential the merits of giving local authority the powers to create fireworks control zones. Building on the work of my predecessor, I will continue to engage with counterparts in Scotland to understand the impact Firework Control Zones have made before considering if similar changes are needed for England and Wales. The Government launched a public campaign on fireworks safety for this year’s fireworks season. The campaign includes guidance for those running community events, which encourages the use of low-noise fireworks and social media posts that emphasise the risks from the misuse of fireworks.

Whether her Department plans to establish a process for recognising assistant dogs that meet agreed national standards.

Assistance dogs are not funded or provided by the Government, and assistance dogs are not regulated or defined in law.There are well established dog training organisations which have international accreditation and are members of the umbrella coalition Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK). Following a Government initiative in 2017/18, a new charity was established - the Assistance Dogs Assessment Association (ADAA) - which offers a test and certificate for assistance dogs trained through sources without international accreditation. It is now possible for assistance dogs to be tested and certified as having reached a set standard, even where they are trained by a body without international accreditation.The Equality Act 2010 places a general duty on businesses and service providers to make reasonable adjustments to allow disabled people, including people with assistance dogs, access to goods and services so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people. Duties and protections under the Equality Act are ultimately enforceable through the courts, and anybody who thinks that they have been discriminated against - including where access to an assistance dog has been refused - can take legal action to seek to resolve the issue.The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act, and has published guidance on ‘Assistance Dogs: a guide for businesses and service providers’.

What support is available for staff being made redundant by the closure of the Queen Elizabeth's Foundation for Disabled People.

Following notification of staff being at risk of redundancy DWP provides support to both employers and individuals through our dedicated service (the Rapid Redundancy Support). Local Employer Advisors will make contact the employers/or individuals to offer support as a matter of urgency. Support is tailored and can vary depending on the scale of the redundancy and the level of support required. This can include:Group Information sessions or 121 sessions with individualsProviding information on the local labour marketIndividual Job Search SupportLocal Skills and Training support for specific sectorsSupport with CVs and ApplicationsInformation on Support for those with Health Conditions and DisabilitiesInformation on Universal Credit and Pensions DWP were notified by the Insolvency Service on the 18th of November of impending redundancies at the Queen Elizabeth Foundation for Disabled People. DWP’s National RRS Team held a meeting with the Chief Executive on the 19th of November where RRS support was outlined. RRS factsheets were sent over for cascade to employees impacted and the National RRS team agreed to contact local jobcentres. Queen Elizabeth Foundation requested DWP support at several recruitment events previously organised at sites in Leatherhead and Carshalton. On the 27th November at the Leatherhead site, the local Employer Adviser and Disability Employer Adviser attended a recruitment event and offered further support for those impacted by the redundancies. The attendance of the Disability Employer Adviser was at the specific request of the Queen Elizabeth Foundation At the Carshalton site local DWP teams have reached out and have invited all employees to a local recruitment event being held next week.

How many patients have been recruited into studies of personalised cancer vaccines as part of the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad.

The NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) is a platform set up to accelerate the development of cancer vaccines and speed up access to mRNA personalised cancer vaccine clinical trials for cancer patients. The 10-Year Health Plan, published in July 2025, commits to delivering 10,000 cancer vaccines to patients in clinical trials over this Parliament. To date, 350 patients have been recruited through the CVLP into a personalised vaccine clinical trial. These patients have then undergone further screening as part of the trial to assess their eligibility for the cancer vaccine.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the number of (a) available beds and (b) diagnostic equipment such as scanners per patient in hospitals across England.

Through the 10-Year Health Plan, we are working to expand urgent care capacity through neighbourhood health services and virtual wards, enabling patients to receive care closer to home where clinically appropriate and easing pressure on hospitals. In addition, investment in digital tools will improve patient flow and further reduce reliance on inpatient beds. We are also working to develop stronger partnerships between the National Health Service and social care to ensure that patients receive the services they need to support timely and effective hospital discharge and to prevent avoidable hospital admissions. The Department is also committed to increasing the number of surgical hubs, which will increase ringfenced elective capacity, providing greater protection from urgent and emergency care, improving outcomes for patients, and reducing pressures on hospitals. There are currently 123 surgical hubs operational across England.At a local level, decisions regarding the opening of additional beds to manage pressures are made by individual NHS trusts, in accordance with their operational requirements. The Department does not direct these decisions centrally.The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the 18-week constitutional standard by the end of this Parliament, including transforming and expand diagnostic services.We are expanding diagnostic services, including investing in new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scanners in hospitals and community diagnostic centres (CDCs), as well as replacing some of the oldest CT and MRI scanners in the NHS estate. We have confirmed 13 new state-of-the-art DEXA scanners to support better bone care, delivering on the Government’s commitment in the Elective Reform Plan. These will allow for an extra 29,000 bone scans per year, benefitting tens of thousands of patients.This is backed as part of the 2025 Spending Review, which confirmed over £6 billion of additional capital investment over five years across new diagnostic, elective, and urgent care capacity. This includes £600 million in capital funding for diagnostics in 2025/26 to support delivery of the NHS performance standards. Further details and allocations will be set out in due course.We are also supporting the NHS to maximise existing diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services, including extending the hours CDCs are open. In August 2025, we announced that 100 CDCs were delivering much needed checks, tests, and scans 12 hours a day, seven days a week. These will reduce overall waiting times for treatment. Alongside this, NHS England is working to ensure MRI acceleration software is being rolled out across MRI scanners, including upgrading old scanners which are unable to utilise this new software and technology.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of expanding the eligibility criteria for patients to take part in the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad.

The NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) is a platform set up to accelerate the development of cancer vaccines. After an assessment by the CVLP delivery group in May 2025, it was agreed to expand the eligibility of the CVLP to support cancer vaccines and immunotherapy clinical trials that require molecular or genomic testing. This expansion in scope means that more patients will have access to the benefits associated with CVLP trials. The platform is designed to be company and clinical trial agnostic, so any companies who are developing cancer vaccines or targeted immunotherapies can contact the CVLP to explore how the platform can support their research.

What steps his Department is taking to increase early detection of mouth cancer.

To help increase the early detection of cancer, the Government has recently launched Jess’s Rule, an initiative that asks general practitioners (GPs) to think again if, after three appointments, they have been unable to diagnose a patient, or if their symptoms have escalated.The Department is also investing an additional £889 million in GPs, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This will help to ensure the National Health Service has a well-trained and well-equipped primary care service that can take the time to provide quality care to patients around the country.Dentists and other dental professionals, including hygienists, routinely check the soft tissues of a patient’s mouth for signs of cancer during dental visits and as part of the check-up will make an assessment and record an individual’s oral cancer risk. Dentists will prioritise patients at a higher risk of oral cancer for more frequent recall and review in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance.Additionally, NHS England is working in partnership with major supermarket chains to include messages about common cancer symptoms onto the packaging of relevant products. This has included specific messaging on mouth cancer symptoms on toothpaste and mouthwash packaging.To support earlier and faster cancer diagnosis, the NHS is now delivering additional checks, tests, and scans at 170 community diagnostic centres.Cancer incidence, including mouth cancer, is increasing. The Government is taking action, including raising awareness of signs and symptoms and focusing on prevention, such as the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

How much the time taken to discharge patients costs the NHS each year.

The Department does not hold data on the annual cost of discharge delays. However, from September 2025, NHS England has started to publish data on the cost of discharge. This information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/discharge-delays/acute-discharge-situation-report/ The following table shows the total cost of delays to bed days for September and October of 2025:MonthTotal cost of delayed bed daysSeptember 2025£219,719,520October 2025£230,824,078 This estimates that the unit cost of a bed day is £562, which is derived from the £527 2023/25 bed day cost, and which has been uplifted by 6.65% to estimate bed day costs for 2025/26 using the NHS Cumulative Uplift Factor to account for inflation, resulting in a unit cost of £562.This analysis does not include wider costs, such as the opportunity cost of care foregone by not being able to admit other patients, or the cost to the patient themselves of being in an inappropriate setting. The estimates do not consider the alternative cost of providing health and care support to patients outside of the acute hospital setting if these patients were not delayed in hospital.

What steps his Department is taking to coordinate work on space between government, industry and universities.

The Ministry of Defence actively coordinates space activity across Government, industry, and academia to sustain the UK’s leadership in space innovation and capability. Through the Defence Industrial Strategy, and in collaboration with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and other government departments, we advance the National and Defence Space Strategies with a particular focus on Space Domain Awareness, delivered through the National Space Operations Centre. We work with universities through initiatives such as the Defence Universities Alliance and the Space Academy to address skills gaps, foster innovation, and support research in dual-use technologies.

If his Department will produce a funded operational plan to reduce A&E waiting times and end corridor care.

The Government is determined to get the National Health Service back on its feet, so patients can be treated with dignity. We are therefore doing everything we can as fast as we can to consign the delivery of care in temporary escalation spaces to the history books.Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26 sets out steps to reduce accident and emergency waiting times and improve the availability of beds for those who need them. Backed by a total of nearly £450 million of capital funding, we are expanding Same Day Emergency Care and Urgent Treatment Centres, helping avoid unnecessary admissions to hospital and supporting more efficient diagnosis, treatment, and discharge for patients. It also includes a commitment to publish data on the prevalence of corridor care for the first time.We will also be publishing new clinical operational standards for the first 72 hours of care. These will set the minimum expectations in areas such as time to review following referral, availability for advice, and what happens to patients when multiple specialist teams need to input into care.

What steps his Department is taking to improve and accelerate the hospital discharge process.

The Government is committed to improving hospital discharge processes and tackling discharge delays.The Urgent and Emergency Care plan for 2025/26 sets as a priority that hospitals should tackle the delays in patients waiting to be discharged. They should eliminate discharge delays of more than 48 hours caused by in-hospital issues, and work with local authorities to tackle the longest delays, starting with those over 21 days, and to profile discharges by pathway to support local planning.In January 2025, we published a new policy framework for the £9 billion Better Care Fund. This gives the National Health Service and local authorities accountability for setting and achieving joint goals for reducing discharge delays and preventing avoidable emergency admissions and care home admissions.

How many bed spaces the NHS keeps free as a minimum standard level.

In September, there were an average of 100,615 general and acute beds open across all acute trusts, of these, 93,553 were occupied, a 93% occupancy rate.Decisions regarding the use of, or opening of, additional beds to manage pressures are made locally by individual National Health Service trusts, in accordance with their operational requirements. The Department does not direct these decisions centrally. However, we are asking trusts to place a special focus on significantly reducing bed occupancy ahead of Christmas, thereby creating additional capacity and improving patient flowThe 10-Year Health Plan aims to expand urgent care capacity through neighbourhood health services and virtual wards, enabling patients to receive care closer to home where clinically appropriate and easing pressure on hospitals. In addition, investment in digital tools will improve patient flow and further reduce reliance on inpatient beds.

What steps his Department is taking to help prevent injuries and deaths among children caused by explosive weapons in conflict.

Protecting civilians is at the heart of defence’s approach to human security where we work through multiple channels to promote human security and - within this - the protection of civilians. The UK is the co-chair of the International Contact Group on Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response and regularly delivers training on human security to other nations; is a signatory of the Political Declaration on strengthening the protection of civilians from the humanitarian consequences arising from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA); has endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration which outlines a set of commitments to strengthen the protection of education from attack and restrict use of schools and universities for military purposes, and; is a state party to Protocol V of the UN Convention on Conventional Weapons which requires states to focus on prevention and clearance of unexploded ordinance.

What steps he is taking to reduce cases of mouth cancer.

To help increase the early detection of cancer, the Government has recently launched Jess’s Rule, an initiative that asks general practitioners (GPs) to think again if, after three appointments, they have been unable to diagnose a patient, or if their symptoms have escalated.The Department is also investing an additional £889 million in GPs, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This will help to ensure the National Health Service has a well-trained and well-equipped primary care service that can take the time to provide quality care to patients around the country.Dentists and other dental professionals, including hygienists, routinely check the soft tissues of a patient’s mouth for signs of cancer during dental visits and as part of the check-up will make an assessment and record an individual’s oral cancer risk. Dentists will prioritise patients at a higher risk of oral cancer for more frequent recall and review in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance.Additionally, NHS England is working in partnership with major supermarket chains to include messages about common cancer symptoms onto the packaging of relevant products. This has included specific messaging on mouth cancer symptoms on toothpaste and mouthwash packaging.To support earlier and faster cancer diagnosis, the NHS is now delivering additional checks, tests, and scans at 170 community diagnostic centres.Cancer incidence, including mouth cancer, is increasing. The Government is taking action, including raising awareness of signs and symptoms and focusing on prevention, such as the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.