Written questions by Maguire.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of launching a home readiness campaign to advise people on how to respond in the event of a potential conflict.

As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, a whole-of-society approach is crucial to strengthen resilience to the risks we face, including hybrid threats. The Cabinet Office-led Home Defence Programme will work to familiarise the public with their role in national security and resilience. The Ministry of Defence will actively support this work and is committed to learning from international best practice. The GOV.UK/Prepare website sets out actions the public can take to prepare for emergencies.

What steps his Department is taking to align the oil and gas sector with international climate commitments.

The UK is committed to transitioning away from fossil fuels and meeting global climate targets. The Government has published supplementary environmental guidance on end-use emissions from burning extracted offshore oil and gas. This guidance will ensure that the full environmental impact of offshore hydrocarbon development projects is considered. Environmental Impact Assessments will be subject to a robust regulatory decision-making process. The Government supports decarbonising oil and gas production. It has also consulted on its commitment to not issue new oil and gas licences to explore new fields and will publish a response setting out its next steps in due course.

Whether his Department is taking steps to encourage companies building AI infrastructure to use renewable energy.

The Government is determined to facilitate the deployment of data centres in ways that are compatible with its Clean Power 2030 ambition. Through the AI Energy Council and its working groups, it has brought the energy and tech industries together at the highest levels to consider the ways in which data centres can be powered by reliable low-carbon generation.

If he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of banning fireworks to support veterans with PTSD.

At this time no assessment has been made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of banning fireworks. However, the Government is continuing to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities, including those supporting veterans, to gather evidence on the issues with and impacts of fireworks to inform any future action. The Government has also launched a public campaign on fireworks safety for this year’s fireworks season. The campaign includes new guidance for those running community fireworks events, and new social media posts that emphasise the risks from the misuse of fireworks.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help tackle the use of anti-personnel mines in international conflicts.

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.

If he will hold discussions with businesses planning to invest in the UK under the Technology Prosperity Deal on making investments in renewable energy.

Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of countries withdrawing from the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction on civilians in conflict zones.

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.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the number of clinical trials available for brain cancer vaccines.

The Department is committed to turbocharging clinical research and delivering better patient care, to make the Untied Kingdom a world-leading destination for clinical research, including clinical trials for brain cancer vaccines.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. Any company that wishes to deliver trials via the platform, including those developing vaccines for brain tumours, can contact the CVLP to explore how the platform can support their research.In addition, the Department funds research and research infrastructure across England, such as the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, which supports patients and the public to participate in high-quality research, including on brain cancer.The Government also supports the Rare Cancers Private Members Bill. The bill will make it easier for clinical trials on brain cancer to take place in England, by ensuring the patient population can be more easily contacted by researchers.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of supporting the (a) training and (b) deployment of UK health staff to Ukraine.

There are options for National Health Service staff to voluntarily provide healthcare support on a humanitarian basis and separately to their NHS duties. For example, humanitarian medical charities such as UK Med are active in Ukraine with NHS clinicians volunteering to provide life-saving medical aid to people affected by the conflict.Additionally, four NHS trusts have established partnerships with Ukrainian healthcare institutions under the International Medical Partnership initiative. These partnerships provide mutual learning and development opportunities for clinicians that will improve public health and patient experience in both the United Kingdom and Ukraine.

What steps his Department is taking to support young people with their mental health.

Through our Plan for Change, the Government is expanding access to mental health support teams in all schools and colleges to reach all pupils by 2029/30, ensuring that every pupil has access to early support services. More widely, we are investing £26 million in new crisis centres, rolling out young futures hubs, and hiring 8,500 more mental health staff.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of clinical medical cases relating to childbirth injuries on maternal mental health.

No such assessment has been made of the potential impact of clinical medical cases relating to childbirth injuries on maternal mental health. However, significant progress has been made across England in recent years to ensure women experiencing moderate to severe and/or complex perinatal mental health problems can access specialist perinatal mental health services. These services have expanded to provide care to women up to two years after birth, improve access to evidence-based psychological therapies, and provide a mental health assessment and signposting support for partners.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with her international counterparts on the regulation of satellites in space.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology leads the UK’s international engagement on the regulation of satellites in space. This includes representation at the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and regular bi-and multi-lateral dialogues with partners at official and ministerial level.Ofcom, the independent telecommunications regulator sponsored by DSIT, represents UK interests at the International Telecommunication Union, which deals with the international regulation of radio frequency spectrum for space activities. FCDO leads on arms control in space through the UN First Committee.Ministers and officials will be discussing the regulation of satellites in space as part of the Department's international engagement over the coming months.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of ensuring people with (a) Huntington's disease and (b) other long-term neurological conditions have a single point of contact to coordinate their care.

More needs to be done to meet need on coordination of care for people with rare diseases, including Huntingdon’s disease, and work is underway to improve this.The revised NHS England Specialised Neurology Services (adults) specification 2025 outlines a comprehensive model of care for specialised neurology services, including for patients with Huntington’s disease. This outlines expectations of a system-wide approach, incorporating end-to-end pathways within an Integrated Neurology System, supporting more equitable and efficient care for people with long-term neurological diseases, including Huntington’s disease.Steps are being taken to improve coordination of care for all rare diseases as a priority under the UK Rare Diseases Framework. This includes research funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research to understand how to most cost-effectively improve care co-ordination to align to the needs of patients, which will report in 2026.

Whether careers in the armed forces will be included in the Youth Guarantee.

As set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, we are developing a Youth Guarantee to ensure young people are either learning or earning. This includes access to high-quality training, apprenticeships, and personalised support to find work. In PQ 38965 the Department for Work and Pensions confirmed its commitment to working closely alongside the Ministry of Defence to identify and support anyone in receipt of benefits with transferable skills to move into careers within the Armed Forces, with a particular focus on younger customers.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing Thames Water into special administration.

There is a high bar for the use of a Special Administration Regime (SAR). The current law states that Special Administration can only be initiated if the company becomes insolvent, can no longer fulfil its statutory duties or breaches an enforcement order. The company remains financially stable. However, the Government is closely monitoring the situation and stands ready for all eventualities – including being ready to apply for a SAR if necessary.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of estimated pressures on the NHS in winter 2025-26 on A&E staff in Epsom and Ewell constituency; and what steps he is taking to support A&E staff in winter 2025-26.

The health and wellbeing of National Health Service staff is a top priority, including those working in accident and emergency. NHS organisations have a responsibility to create supportive working environments for staff, ensuring they have the conditions they need to thrive.The Urgent and Emergency Care plan for 2025/26 aims to learn the lessons from last winter and focuses on improvements that will see the biggest impact on urgent and emergency care performance this winter, helping to reduce the pressure on our hardworking frontline staff. Measures include: improved hospital flow; reduction in ambulance handovers; support discharge capacity planning; and reducing the average length of stay for patients requiring overnight emergency admission.Employers across the NHS have their own arrangements in place for supporting their staff including occupational health provision, employee support programmes and board level scrutiny through health and wellbeing guardians.At a national level, NHS England has made available additional support. This includes a focus on healthy working environments, tools and resources to support line managers to hold meaningful conversations with staff to discuss their wellbeing, and emotional and psychological health and wellbeing support.

How many people aged between (a) 60 and 70, (b) 70 and 80, (c) 80 and 90 and (d) 90 and 100 were admitted to hospital in (i) England and (ii) Surrey in 2024.

NHS England publishes data on hospital admissions, which is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-accident--emergency-activityTo show admission data by age, finished consultant episodes (FCEs) have been used as a proxy for the number of admissions.The information requested for Surrey is collected at integrated care board (ICB) level. Therefore, the total number of FCEs in Surrey was generated by adding the FCEs of the two Surrey ICBs, namely Frimley and Surrey Heartlands.The following table shows the number of hospital FCEs for each category for 2024/25 as the information is not available for the calendar year:Age bandsEnglandNHS FRIMLEY ICBNHS SURREY HEARTLANDS ICBSurrey ICBs Total60-693,456,53733,87056,86590,73570-794,190,01141,98072,905114,88580-893,126,02534,65561,56596,22090 and over809,5459,79518,75028,545Source: NHS England Digital

What steps his Department is taking to support service personnel with SEND children.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave on 3 September 2025 to Question 73617 to the hon. Member for Birmingham Northfield (Laurence Turner).

What support his Department is providing to Epsom Hospital to (a) recruit and (b) retain specialist (i) cancer nurses and (ii) other cancer workforce.

The Government and NHS England are taking action ensure that we train the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it including at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust.In 2024/25, an estimated 8,000 people received training to either enter the cancer and diagnostics workforce or develop in their roles. As part of this, over 1,600 people were on apprenticeship courses, with over 270 additional medical specialty training places funded. Over 1,000 Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) grants were made available to new and aspiring CNSs.NHS England works with regions and other local delivery partners to support education and training across the cancer workforce. This includes a providing an allocation funding based on a fair geographical split to regional workforce leads for the provision of grants for clinical nurse specialist training. NHS England has also been expanding specialty training places in key professions, including histopathology, clinical radiology, and gastroenterology. Targeted national campaigns and outreach activities, for example in clinical oncology, also promote cancer career pathways, with a focus on increasing applications.To improve retention, NHS England is investing in structured career development and education support. The Aspirant Cancer Career and Education Development programme provides a nationally agreed framework for capability, career development, and education for nurses, allied health professionals, and the support workforce working in cancer care.

If he will take steps to include policies on neighbourhood cancer care within the national cancer plan that help to reduce health inequalities.

Bringing cancer care into the Neighbourhood Health Service is an important part of our forthcoming National Cancer Plan for England, enabling cancer patients to be treated and cared for closer to home.The National Cancer Plan will seek to make cancer care easier, more local, and more responsive. Rather than requiring endless trips to hospitals, cancer care will happen as locally as it can. This means digitally by default, in a patient’s home if possible, in a neighbourhood health centre when needed, and in a hospital if necessary. As a larger proportion of England’s population survives cancer, this new model offers the potential for a higher quality of life, so that people in England to live longer, better lives after cancer diagnosis.We know that currently cancer patients in England face a range of inequalities in access to cancer care. The National Cancer Plan will set out how we will work with organisations representing communities that experience health inequalities, to ensure that cancer care in neighbourhoods and other settings meets the needs of all cancer patients across England.