Written questions by Maguire.

What steps is his Department taking to address (a) regional and (b) socioeconomic inequality in (i) maternal and (ii) perinatal outcomes.

On 23 June 2025, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced a rapid, national, independent Investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal services to understand the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies, and families experience unacceptable care. The investigation will aim to identify the drivers and impacts of the inequalities faced by women, babies, and families from black and Asian backgrounds, those from deprived groups, and those from other marginalised groups when receiving maternity and neonatal care. The investigation will deliver interim recommendations in December 2025, ahead of further findings in spring 2026.A number of interventions specifically aimed at addressing maternal and neonatal inequalities are underway. These include the Perinatal Equity and Anti-Discrimination Programme, delivery of an inequalities dashboard and projects on removing racial bias from clinical education, and embedding genetic risk equity. Additionally, all local areas have published Equity and Equality action plans to tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic minorities as well as those living in the most deprived areas.To tackle the leading causes of maternal mortality and morbidity, we are introducing a Maternal Care Bundle to set clear standards across all services, focused on the main causes of maternal death and harm. Women from black and Asian backgrounds are more at risk of specific clinical conditions that are the leading causes of death. This bundle will target these conditions, and we expect a decline in deaths and harm.The Family Hubs and Start for Life programme also supports the reduction of health inequalities by providing universal support for infant feeding, perinatal mental health, and parent-infant relationships from conception to two years old. Building on the £126 million investment for 2025/26, a further £500 million will enable Best Start Family Hubs to be rolled out to every local authority from April 2026.

What steps he is taking to racial disparities in maternity care.

On 23 June 2025, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced a rapid, national, independent Investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal services to understand the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies, and families experience unacceptable care. The investigation will aim to identify the drivers and impacts of the inequalities faced by women, babies, and families from black and Asian backgrounds, those from deprived groups, and those from other marginalised groups when receiving maternity and neonatal care. The investigation will deliver interim recommendations in December 2025, ahead of further findings in spring 2026.A number of interventions specifically aimed at addressing maternal and neonatal inequalities are underway. These include the Perinatal Equity and Anti-Discrimination Programme, delivery of an inequalities dashboard and projects on removing racial bias from clinical education, and embedding genetic risk equity. Additionally, all local areas have published Equity and Equality action plans to tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic minorities as well as those living in the most deprived areas.To tackle the leading causes of maternal mortality and morbidity, we are introducing a Maternal Care Bundle to set clear standards across all services, focused on the main causes of maternal death and harm. Women from black and Asian backgrounds are more at risk of specific clinical conditions that are the leading causes of death. This bundle will target these conditions, and we expect a decline in deaths and harm.The Family Hubs and Start for Life programme also supports the reduction of health inequalities by providing universal support for infant feeding, perinatal mental health, and parent-infant relationships from conception to two years old. Building on the £126 million investment for 2025/26, a further £500 million will enable Best Start Family Hubs to be rolled out to every local authority from April 2026.

What estimate he has made of the expected return on investment for investments in Eutelsat OneWeb.

The UK Government's stake in Eutelsat and OneWeb supports UK strategic security and resilience in Low Earth Orbit satellite communications, helps drive UK-developed technology and space sector growth, increases global diversity in the market, and enhances UK-France security and defence collaboration. These benefits are expected to enhance the Ministry of Defence’s future deployed operations.

If he will take steps to ensure that the forthcoming (a) Cancer Plan and (b) 10 Year Workforce Plan will include plans to ensure that the NHS have the necessary levels of staff to meet its targets for (i) diagnosing and (ii) treating breast cancer.

The National Cancer Plan will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, as well as prevention, and research and innovation. This will also include how we can reform the workforce to improve cancer patient outcomes, including for patients with breast cancer.The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. We are working through how the plan will articulate the changes for different professional groups. We are committed to working with partners to ensure the plan meets its aims and we will engage with independent experts to make sure the plan is ambitious, forward looking, and evidence based. To support this, the Department and NHS England will be engaging with key stakeholders to ensure that the needs of different patient groups, including patients with breast cancer, and relevant health professionals are reflected in this work.

If his Department will (a) collected and (b) publish data on people diagnosed with secondary breast cancer in the upcoming NHS cancer plan.

The Department recognises the importance of robust and timely data on people diagnosed with secondary (metastatic) breast cancer to support service planning and improve outcomes.Work is already under way. NHS England commissioned clinical audits on metastatic breast cancer to increase the consistency of access to treatments. The National Audit of Metastatic (Secondary) Breast Cancer (NAoMe) results are based on data about people in England and Wales diagnosed and treated for metastatic breast cancer between January 2020 and December 2022. The Department and NHS England are now acting on the audit’s findings.The National Cancer Plan is due to be published in early 2026. We have received more than 11,000 responses to our Call for Evidence and have had significant ongoing engagement with patients, clinicians, and charities. The Department is working closely with NHS England and cancer registration and audit bodies to ensure that data on secondary breast cancer continues to be collected, analysed and, where appropriate, made publicly available in line with national data standards.

If his Department will commit to (a) quantifying and (b) modelling (i) current and (ii) future NHS workforce shortages in diagnostic and imaging services; and if his Department will commit to working with the sector to develop a plan to address these shortfalls, in the context of the development of the 10-year workforce plan.

The Government will publish the 10 Year Workforce Plan in spring 2026. This Plan will set out action to create a workforce able to deliver the transformed services set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. It is important we do this in a robust and joined up way and so we are engaging extensively with partners and the sector to ensure this Plan delivers for staff and patients.Our call for evidence, due to close on 7 November 2025, is seeking evidence and views primarily from healthcare organisations and those with expertise in workforce planning to inform the development of the 10 Year Workforce Plan.We are already quantifying and modelling current and future workforce shortages in diagnostic imaging services through the work on the 10 Year Workforce Plan. This will provide an agreed position on current and future workforce gaps, and outline solutions for demand and supply optimisation to manage these.We are committed to expanding the diagnostics workforce in line with demand for skills and where pressures are greatest including ensuring there is sufficient workforce capacity in community diagnostic centres.

Whether he plans to allocate targeted capital funding to ensure that (a) maternity and (b) neonatal services can operate in (i) safe and (ii) fit-for-purpose buildings.

We recognise that maintaining and repairing our healthcare estate is a vital part of the Government’s ambition to create a National Health Service that is fit for purpose.As a first step towards improving our maternity and neonatal estate, we are investing £131 million through the 2025/26 Estates Safety Fund to address critical safety risks on the maternity estate, enabling safety and better care for mothers and their newborns. The funded works will delivery vital safety improvements, enhance patient and staff environments, and support NHS productivity by reducing disruptions across NHS clinical services. The Government is also backing the NHS with over £4 billion in operational capital in 2025/26, enabling systems to allocate funding to maternity and neonatal services where this is a local priority.In addition, £30 billion will be invested over the next five years in day-to-day maintenance and repair of the NHS estate, with over £5 billion specifically allocated to address the most critical building repairs, reducing the most serious and critical infrastructure risk in a targeted way.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of reductions in the budgets for Integrated Care Boards on (a) specialist services for women and (b) Women’s health hubs.

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement of the abolition of NHS England, we are clear on the need for a smaller centre, as well as scaling back integrated care board (ICB) running costs and National Health Service provider corporate cost reductions to reduce waste and bureaucracy.The Spending Review 2025 settlement provides an additional £29 billion of annual day-to-day spending in real terms by 2028/29 compared to 2023/24. We are now carefully reviewing how the settlement is prioritised.We are supporting ICBs to continue improving their delivery of women’s health hubs, in line with their responsibility to commission services that meet the needs of women in their local populations.We have heard from ICBs on the positive impacts that women’s health hubs have had on both women's access to care in the community and their experience. The Government is committed to encouraging ICBs to further expand the coverage of women’s health hubs and to support ICBs to use the learning from the women’s health hub pilots to improve local delivery of services to women and girls.

How much his Department has paid to Eutelsat OneWeb in each of the last six years.

The primary spend with Eutelsat OneWeb has been on test and trial activity related to assessing the Company’s service offerings in support of Defence’s Satellite Communications. The spend is shown in financial years, with the current fiscal year including an element that is projected spend. The Ministry of Defence’s procurement of OneWeb services is expected to increase from financial year (FY) 2026. FY 2025-26 £1.7 millionFY 2024-25 £72,000FY 2023-24 £222,000FY 2022-23 £100,000 No spend prior to April 2022

What steps he is taking to support the (a) development and (b) expansion of Women’s Health Hubs; and what steps he is taking to work with Integrated Care Boards to encourage this.

We are supporting integrated care boards (ICBs) to continue improving their delivery of women’s health hubs, in line with their responsibility to commission services that meet the needs of their local populations.We have heard from ICBs on the positive impacts that women’s health hubs have on both women's access to care in the community and their experience. The Government is committed to encouraging ICBs to further expand the coverage of women’s health hubs and to support ICBs to use the learning from the women’s health hub pilots to improve local delivery of services to women and girls. NHS England have therefore asked ICBs to include them in their plans for 2025/26.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to moving towards a neighbourhood health service, with more care delivered in local communities, to identify and address problems earlier and closer to home. Women’s health hubs are an example of this approach and can play a key role in delivering the Government’s manifesto commitments on tackling long NHS waiting lists, as well as shifting care into the community.The 2022 Women’s Health Strategy identified many important issues which remain valid, so we now need to align the strategy with the 10-Year Health Plan and identify areas where we need to go further.We know that women deserve better, which is why we are updating the Women’s Health Strategy, to assess the progress that has been made so far and to continue progressing delivery.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the cancer service specifications for teenagers and young adults published in 2023 are (a) funded and (b) implemented as part of the National Cancer Plan.

The Department is committed to improving outcomes and patient experience for teenagers and young adults with cancer. The Department recognises that cancer in teenagers and young adults is different to cancer in adults and children, and that age-appropriate care is necessary regarding treatment, diagnosis, and wider support, as per the NHS England service specifications.The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more teenagers and young adults survive. The Department and NHS England are taking a range of steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment across all cancer patient groups. This includes the NHS delivering an extra 40,000 scans, appointments, and operations each week to ensure that patients are seen and treated as quickly as possible.Furthermore, the Department set out expectations for renewed focus on cancer targets in the Elective Reform plan, published on 6 January 2025. The Department has asked systems and providers to identify local opportunities in both community diagnostic centres and hospital based diagnostic services to improve performance against the Faster Diagnosis Standard, to reduce the number of patients, including teenagers and young adults, waiting too long for a confirmed diagnosis of cancer.NHS England and other NHS organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in teenagers and young adults. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.The national service specifications relating to the provision of Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) Cancer Services describes the service and clinical standards, as well as the relationships that need to be in place with other services that patients might need to access. Alongside the publication of the TYA Cancer Service Specifications, NHS England provided investment to establish and run networks, whose purpose is to drive improvements to pathways and the co-ordination of care. As of 1 April 2025, the responsibility for commissioning TYA Cancer Services was delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs). This means that ICBs are responsible for ensuring continued compliance with national service specifications. TYA Cancer Services provide a level of psycho-social support for patients dealing with cancer diagnosis and treatment through cancer nursing and clinical support. Teenagers and young adults with cancer may also access support for their mental health needs in mental health services commissioned by ICBs, for example Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. The National Cancer Plan, due to be published in the new year, will have a commitment to children and young people, aged between zero and 24 years old with cancer, as a priority group. The plan will cover the entire pathway and aims to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer. On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the National Cancer Plan for England provides age-appropriate information on the (a) signs and (b) symptoms of cancer for young people.

The Department is committed to improving outcomes and patient experience for teenagers and young adults with cancer. The Department recognises that cancer in teenagers and young adults is different to cancer in adults and children, and that age-appropriate care is necessary regarding treatment, diagnosis, and wider support, as per the NHS England service specifications.The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more teenagers and young adults survive. The Department and NHS England are taking a range of steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment across all cancer patient groups. This includes the NHS delivering an extra 40,000 scans, appointments, and operations each week to ensure that patients are seen and treated as quickly as possible.Furthermore, the Department set out expectations for renewed focus on cancer targets in the Elective Reform plan, published on 6 January 2025. The Department has asked systems and providers to identify local opportunities in both community diagnostic centres and hospital based diagnostic services to improve performance against the Faster Diagnosis Standard, to reduce the number of patients, including teenagers and young adults, waiting too long for a confirmed diagnosis of cancer.NHS England and other NHS organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in teenagers and young adults. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.The national service specifications relating to the provision of Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) Cancer Services describes the service and clinical standards, as well as the relationships that need to be in place with other services that patients might need to access. Alongside the publication of the TYA Cancer Service Specifications, NHS England provided investment to establish and run networks, whose purpose is to drive improvements to pathways and the co-ordination of care. As of 1 April 2025, the responsibility for commissioning TYA Cancer Services was delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs). This means that ICBs are responsible for ensuring continued compliance with national service specifications. TYA Cancer Services provide a level of psycho-social support for patients dealing with cancer diagnosis and treatment through cancer nursing and clinical support. Teenagers and young adults with cancer may also access support for their mental health needs in mental health services commissioned by ICBs, for example Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. The National Cancer Plan, due to be published in the new year, will have a commitment to children and young people, aged between zero and 24 years old with cancer, as a priority group. The plan will cover the entire pathway and aims to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer. On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of psycho-oncology provision for teenagers and young adults with cancer.

The Department is committed to improving outcomes and patient experience for teenagers and young adults with cancer. The Department recognises that cancer in teenagers and young adults is different to cancer in adults and children, and that age-appropriate care is necessary regarding treatment, diagnosis, and wider support, as per the NHS England service specifications.The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more teenagers and young adults survive. The Department and NHS England are taking a range of steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment across all cancer patient groups. This includes the NHS delivering an extra 40,000 scans, appointments, and operations each week to ensure that patients are seen and treated as quickly as possible.Furthermore, the Department set out expectations for renewed focus on cancer targets in the Elective Reform plan, published on 6 January 2025. The Department has asked systems and providers to identify local opportunities in both community diagnostic centres and hospital based diagnostic services to improve performance against the Faster Diagnosis Standard, to reduce the number of patients, including teenagers and young adults, waiting too long for a confirmed diagnosis of cancer.NHS England and other NHS organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in teenagers and young adults. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.The national service specifications relating to the provision of Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) Cancer Services describes the service and clinical standards, as well as the relationships that need to be in place with other services that patients might need to access. Alongside the publication of the TYA Cancer Service Specifications, NHS England provided investment to establish and run networks, whose purpose is to drive improvements to pathways and the co-ordination of care. As of 1 April 2025, the responsibility for commissioning TYA Cancer Services was delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs). This means that ICBs are responsible for ensuring continued compliance with national service specifications. TYA Cancer Services provide a level of psycho-social support for patients dealing with cancer diagnosis and treatment through cancer nursing and clinical support. Teenagers and young adults with cancer may also access support for their mental health needs in mental health services commissioned by ICBs, for example Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. The National Cancer Plan, due to be published in the new year, will have a commitment to children and young people, aged between zero and 24 years old with cancer, as a priority group. The plan will cover the entire pathway and aims to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer. On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan.

Whether the National Cancer Plan will support the faster diagnosis of teenagers and young adults with cancer.

The Department is committed to improving outcomes and patient experience for teenagers and young adults with cancer. The Department recognises that cancer in teenagers and young adults is different to cancer in adults and children, and that age-appropriate care is necessary regarding treatment, diagnosis, and wider support, as per the NHS England service specifications.The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more teenagers and young adults survive. The Department and NHS England are taking a range of steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment across all cancer patient groups. This includes the NHS delivering an extra 40,000 scans, appointments, and operations each week to ensure that patients are seen and treated as quickly as possible.Furthermore, the Department set out expectations for renewed focus on cancer targets in the Elective Reform plan, published on 6 January 2025. The Department has asked systems and providers to identify local opportunities in both community diagnostic centres and hospital based diagnostic services to improve performance against the Faster Diagnosis Standard, to reduce the number of patients, including teenagers and young adults, waiting too long for a confirmed diagnosis of cancer.NHS England and other NHS organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in teenagers and young adults. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.The national service specifications relating to the provision of Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) Cancer Services describes the service and clinical standards, as well as the relationships that need to be in place with other services that patients might need to access. Alongside the publication of the TYA Cancer Service Specifications, NHS England provided investment to establish and run networks, whose purpose is to drive improvements to pathways and the co-ordination of care. As of 1 April 2025, the responsibility for commissioning TYA Cancer Services was delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs). This means that ICBs are responsible for ensuring continued compliance with national service specifications. TYA Cancer Services provide a level of psycho-social support for patients dealing with cancer diagnosis and treatment through cancer nursing and clinical support. Teenagers and young adults with cancer may also access support for their mental health needs in mental health services commissioned by ICBs, for example Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. The National Cancer Plan, due to be published in the new year, will have a commitment to children and young people, aged between zero and 24 years old with cancer, as a priority group. The plan will cover the entire pathway and aims to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer. On 4 February 2025, the Department relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young cancer patients. The taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The taskforce will also ensure that the unique needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan.

If his Department will roll out a national education programme to inform women about menopause.

The Government recognises that women suffering from symptoms of menopause have been failed for far too long, and we acknowledge the impact it has on women’s lives, relationships and participation in the workplace.Our renewed strategy will set out how the Government will take the next steps to improve women's healthcare as part of the 10-Year Health Plan and create a system that listens to women. Steps to improve awareness of menopause symptoms are being fully considered as part of the renewal.We recently announced that menopause will be included in the NHS Health Check. This will mean eligible women can access high-quality information on menopause more easily, including information on managing symptoms, where to seek support, and treatment options. Mariella Frostrup has been appointed the Menopause Employment Ambassador. The Menopause Employment Ambassador works closely with employers across the country to improve workplace support for women experiencing the menopause, raise awareness of menopause symptoms and champion the economic contributions of women. With decades of experience championing women’s rights and gender equality across the world, Mariella Frostrup brings a powerful and unique voice to this agenda.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will hold discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of imposing a full arms embargo on Israel.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 18 September to question 72500.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of suspending arms export licences to Israel.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 18 September to question 72500.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure NHS staff receive adequate training to (a) ask menopause questions and (b) support affected women in routine NHS health checks.

We will be working with experts, including general practitioners (GPs), over the coming months to co-design the menopause content for the NHS Health Check. The NHS Health Check Best Practice Guidance will be updated to reflect the addition of menopause, and it will be for local authority commissioners to implement this through their NHS Health Check providers and ensure that staff have adequate training. Support from the NHS Health Check will be tailored based on the individual and their own experiences and circumstances. Support may range from directing women to appropriate online resources with the right information, through to a GP appointment to assess the women’s symptoms further and identify how to best treat and manage them. This will mean eligible women can access high-quality information on menopause more easily.

What steps she is taking to increase the number of driving tests in (a) Epsom and Ewell constituency and (b) England.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain.These actions include incentivised additional testing offers for driving examiners, doubling permanent training capacity for new driving examiners, and a call for volunteers from those currently in other roles (but qualified to examine) to carry out practical driving tests.DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country to provide as many tests as possible. Since July last year, DVSA has recruited and trained 290 driving examiners (DE) who are now in post and delivering driving tests.The test centres that serve candidates in the Epsom and Ewell constituency are Tolworth, Chertsey, Morden and Mitcham.Since July 2025, one new entrant examiner has passed their training course and is now conducting tests at Tolworth test centre, with a further new entrant currently undertaking training and one booked on a training course. DVSA also has one new entrant undertaking training and if successful will begin testing at Chertsey. DVSA has also made an offer of employment to a new entrant examiner for Morden test centre. A further three new entrants who have passed their training course are now conducting tests at Mitcham, with a further new entrant awaiting to start their training and one new entrant currently undertaking training.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her international counterparts on strengthening the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction.

The UK is a State Party to the Ottawa Treaty and our commitment to the Treaty is unwavering. The Treaty plays an important role in how we protect civilians, advance the security of our allies and our own national security. We nonetheless recognise the security concerns raised by Allies who have decided to withdraw, as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and acknowledge their sovereign right to do so. We have welcomed statements made by each withdrawing State to continue their national commitments for Humanitarian Mine Action, their commitment to International Humanitarian Law and the norms promoted by the Treaty and we continue to work closely with them to support the principles of the Treaty. We continue to support efforts to reduce the risks from landmines and the UK's Global Mine Action Programme (GMAP) will provide over £27 million this financial year (25/26 FY) on interventions in 12 countries.