Written questions by Maguire.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the restrictions on British military aircrafts (a) arriving at and (b) departing from Gibraltar on (i) military operations and (ii) financial costs to his Department.

UK military aircraft travelling to and from RAF Gibraltar are routed so as to avoid Spanish territorial airspace, in accordance with Spanish restrictions on UK military overflights. RAF Gibraltar continues to operate as a sovereign UK military airfield, and the current overflight ban by Spain does not impede our operational freedom with respect to aircraft movements. No assessment has been conducted regarding the financial costs associated with routing UK military aircraft through the global network of Flight Information Regions.

Whether he has had recent discussions with his Spanish counterpart on allowing UK military aircraft (a) arriving at and (b) departing from Gibraltar to use Spanish airspace.

The Defence Secretary meets regularly with his Spanish counterpart to discuss a range of issues of shared strategic interest. These recent interactions have not included discussion on the transit through Spanish airspace of UK military aircraft arriving at or departing from RAF Gibraltar.

What recent progress his Department has made on negotiating the UK's participation in the EU’s European Peace Facility.

The UK agreed an ambitious Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) with the EU to strengthen European security, support growth and reinforce NATO. As work progresses to implement the SDP, including the first UK-EU Foreign and Security Policy dialogue on 22 October, the UK will continue to prioritise engagement and cooperation on the issues that are most important in helping to safeguard European security and prosperity – all in support of this government’s NATO first defence policy as set out in the Security and Defence Review. The UK is not currently exploring participation in the European Peace Facility.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure residents living (a) with and (b) beyond cancer receive (i) timely and (ii) personalised support following a cancer diagnosis in Epsom and Ewell constituency.

It is a priority for the Government and the National Health Service to improve support for people who are living with cancer, and for those people who have been through cancer treatment, in England, including in the Epsom and Ewell constituency.NHS England has committed to ensuring that every person diagnosed with cancer has access to personalised care. This includes needs assessments, a care plan, and health and wellbeing information and support. Through the provision of information, personalised care empowers people to manage their care and the impact of their cancer. This approach ensures that each person’s care is planned holistically, covering mental and physical health, as well as any practical or financial concerns.The National Cancer Plan, which is planned for publication in the new year, will seek to improve the experience and outcomes for people living with and beyond cancer. The plan will look at how the National Health Service can improve personalised support, so that people living with cancer feel informed and in control of their care.

What information his Department holds on the expected timeline for the TRANSFORM trial to produce actionable evidence to inform UK National Screening Committee policy on prostate cancer screening.

The Government and Prostate Cancer UK (PCUK) have announced the £42 million TRANSFORM screening trial to find the best way to screen men for prostate cancer to find it before it becomes advanced and harder to treat. PCUK is managing the award on behalf of the funders, with the Government contributing £16 million through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).The UK National Screening Committee is working closely with the TRANSFORM trial team and will assess new evidence as it becomes available. This will ensure that prostate cancer policy is kept at the forefront of the Government’s cancer agenda. Although the TRANSFORM trial will run for over a decade, PCUK anticipate initial findings within the next three years.The NIHR continues to encourage and welcome applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including prostate cancer.

Whether he plans to include a framework for neighbourhood cancer care within the national cancer plan.

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.

If he will take steps to include policies on improving long-term quality of life for people who (a) have and (b) have had cancer within the national cancer plan.

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. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to better the experience and outcomes for people with cancer. The National Cancer Plan will build on the three shifts set out by the 10-Year Health Plan. These shifts will enable rapid progress on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer, as well as supporting those living with cancer to better manage their condition and improve their quality of life.The National Cancer Plan will aim to improve how the physical and psychosocial needs of people with cancer can be met, with a focus on personalised care to improve quality of life. It will address how the experience of care can be improved for those diagnosed, treated, and living with and beyond cancer.

When he plans to respond to the consultation entitled Proposal for a tie-in to NHS dentistry for graduate dentists, published on 23 May 2024.

As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will make it a requirement for newly qualified dentists to practice in the National Health Service for a minimum period, which we intend to be at least three years. That will mean more NHS dentists, more NHS appointments, and better oral health.We will be working closely with the sector on the detail of the scheme, and will consult on the detail of the model in due course. This will include publication of the Government’s response to the 2024 consultation.

Whether his Department is taking steps to provide hospices with funding to raise staff pay in line with nationally agreed NHS pay rises.

The impact that National Health Service pay uplifts will have on the hospice sector will depend on the structure of the charity, including the number of employees and salary levels.Independent organisations, such as charities and social enterprises, are free to develop and adapt their own terms and conditions of employment, including the pay scales. It is for them to determine what is affordable within the financial model they operate, and how to recoup any additional costs they face if they choose to utilise the terms and conditions of NHS staff on the Agenda for Change contract.NHS England has issued guidance on the implementation of the 2024/25 pay awards. Providers of NHS-commissioned services should direct questions to their commissioners, their local integrated care board or NHS England regional team, on the application to their specific contract arrangements.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that hospice contracts reflect the (a) cost of the services they provide and (b) needs of their local populations.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, to meet the needs of their local populations. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.  NHS England has also developed a palliative care and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative care and end of life care needs of their local population.Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing NHS services. The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between ICB areas. This will vary depending on demand in that ICB area but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative and end of life care provision from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each ICB area.The Department and NHS England are currently working at pace to develop plans on how best to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10- Year Health Plan.Additionally, we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.We are also committing £80 million for children’s and young people’s hospices over the next three financial years, giving them stability to plan ahead and focus on what matters most, caring for their patients.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure schools have adequate (a) training and (b) resources to support children with dyslexia.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including pupils with dyslexia. The English Hubs programme is dedicated to improving the teaching of reading, and the Reading Ambition for All programme will improve outcomes for children in primary who need additional support with reading, including those with SEND.All statutory initial teacher training and early career teacher training must cover adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND. The department has reviewed the content of the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework, adding more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting improving inclusivity for SEND pupils. We have also enhanced the requirement on providers to develop SEND specific training materials.In 2024 we began delivery of the national professional qualification for special educational needs co-ordinators. This mandatory qualification will support participants to develop the essential knowledge and skills needed to set the strategic direction of SEND policy in schools and the conditions in which pupils with SEND can thrive.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of workplace (a) guidance and (b) protections for employees experiencing menopausal symptoms; and if her Department will issue new guidance to (i) small and medium-sized enterprises and (ii) other employers on reasonable adjustments.

It is important that those who experience substantial and longer-term menopausal effects should be adequately protected from discrimination in the workplace, and that employers are fully aware of the issues their employees may be experiencing at work, and their current legal obligations, including under the Equality Act 2010 (the Act).Depending on circumstances, the Act provides protection from discrimination on grounds of sex and/or age and/or disability for employees experiencing the effects of the menopause. An employee may bring a discrimination claim under more than one of these grounds, which the courts can then consider sequentially, where appropriate.As part of the plan to Make Work Pay, the government has committed to publishing guidance, including for small employers, on measures to consider relating to uniform and temperature, flexible working and recording menopause-related leave and absence. Guidance can currently be found on the government’s Help to Grow Site: Menopause in the Workplace - Help to Grow. We will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure the content is relevant and to raise awareness and promote best practice amongst businesses. As part of the Employment Rights Bill, this government is taking the first steps towards requiring large employers to publish action plans alongside their gender pay gap figures; detailing the steps they are taking to narrow their gap and support employees during the menopause. These will ensure that they recognise and tackle the barriers that women still face, as well as opening up space to have broader conversations about women’s health in the workplace. Organisations will be required to detail the evidence-based steps they are taking, supported by government guidance, with the aim of speeding up progress towards workplaces that actually work for everyone.

How many cancer patients are waiting for radiotherapy treatment in (a) England and (b) Surrey for which the latest data is available.

The information is not available in the format requested. Information on the 31-day cancer treatment waiting time standard, including the number of patients who received radiotherapy and whether their treatment was within the 31-days, is available for England and the Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board (ICB). The following table shows the number of people receiving radiotherapy for cancer, as of August 2025, for England and the Surrey Heartlands ICB:AreaTotalWithin 31 daysPercentage treated within 31 daysEngland10,7989,62989.2%Surrey Heartlands ICB22321395.5%Source: NHS England’s Cancer Waiting Times statistics: Commissioner Based, August 2025, available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/AUGUST-2025-CWT-CRS-COMMISSIONER-WORKBOOK-PROVISIONAL.xlsx

What steps his Department is taking to support prepayment meter customers unable to access (a) heating and (b) power.

Customers who are unable to top up their prepayment meter may be able to obtain a fuel voucher, access to emergency credit or be eligible for Cold Weather Payments, the Warm Home Discount or the Winter Fuel Payment. Customers should contact their energy supplier if they have concerns and information on support with paying energy bills can be found on Citizens Advice's website: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk On 19 June we announced that we are expanding the Warm Home Discount to around an additional 2.7 million households. This means that from this winter, around 6 million low-income households will receive the £150 support to help with their energy bills. On 25 September we published a consultation setting out our intention to continue support for those 6 million households. The consultation sets out proposals for the next scheme period (up to winter 2030/31), after current regulations expire on 31 March 2026. Government is gathering feedback from stakeholders on: the design of the core elements of the schemeoptions for delivery of the scheme in Scotlandproposals to change some elements of the scheme for suppliersa call for evidence on Industry Initiativesa call for suggestions for future improvements during the next scheme period The consultation closes on Thursday 20 November.

What his Department's timetable is for implementation discussions on (a) establishing an Administrative Arrangement with the European Defence Agency and (b) ensuring the UK’s participation in projects that fall under the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation mechanism.

The Security and Defence Partnership agreed with the European Union on 19 May 2025 is an example of this Government delivering on our manifesto commitments to strengthen European security, support growth and reinforce NATO. We will continue to prioritise engagement and cooperation on the issues that are most important in helping to safeguard European security and prosperity – all in support of this Government’s NATO First defence policy as set out in the Security and Defence Review. The Security and Defence partnership outlines that possibilities for establishing an Administrative Arrangement between the UK and the European Defence Agency (EDA) will be explored. The Security and Defence Partnership also sets out how the UK and the EU are committed to strengthening cooperation on military mobility issues, including through the UK’s participation in PESCO project Military Mobility. Officials remain in discussions with the EU to identify practical ways to advance cooperation in these areas. Any UK commitment – financial or otherwise – will ensure value for taxpayers and support defence goals.

What steps he is taking to increase NHS England's baseline number of speciality training places in (a) clinical radiology and (b) clinical oncology.

The 10-Year Health Plan, published on 3 July, set out that over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that cancer patients have effective radiotherapy treatment.

Radiotherapy is vital in cancer care, and it remains a key priority for the Government to provide the highest quality of treatment available. This is why the Government has invested £70 million of central funding on 28 new LINAC radiotherapy machines across the country to replace older, less efficient radiotherapy machines.

What information his Department holds on the number of working days of armed forces personnel lost due to dental issues in each of the last 10 years.

The number of working days Armed Forces personnel were absent owing to dental issues is not centrally recorded by the Department.

What information his Department holds on the number of women who suffered baby loss between 2020 and 2025.

Baby loss can include miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth, and neonatal death. Official statistics published by the Office for National Statistics on stillbirths and neonatal deaths are available at the following link: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/childhoodinfantandperinatalmortalityinenglandandwales/2023 NHS England does not hold comprehensive data on miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies as it is not consistently or officially counted in the same way as live births, stillbirths, or neonatal deaths. The Maternity Services Data Set records information from the point of a person booking an appointment for maternity care and therefore does not include losses prior to contact with National Health Service maternity services, nor is the data of sufficient quality and completeness to produce any counts data. Information on miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies resulting in a hospital stay is published in the Hospital Episodes Statistics, although not all such pregnancies will involve an NHS hospital stay and therefore will not be included, with further information available in Table 1i, named Miscarriage and ectopic pregnancies which resulted in an NHS hospital stay, in the document attached. The most recent available data shows that there were 31,046 finished consultant episodes with a primary diagnosis of miscarriage in 2020/21, 33,352 in 2021/22, 33,126 in 2022/23, and 35,876 in 2023/24. In addition, there were 10,368 finished consultant episodes with a primary diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy in 2020/21, 11,088 in 2021/22, 10,999 in 2022/23, and 12,122 in 2023/24.

What information his Department holds on the 10 most common medical conditions that kept British armed forces personnel from being deployed in the latest year for which data is available.

The following table provides information held by the Ministry of Defence on all principal cause of downgrading for Medically Not Deployable (MND) UK Armed Forces personnel as at 1 September 2025: Table 1: Medically Not Deployable (MND) UK armed forces personnel1 by principal ICD-10 cause code group2, numbers and percentages3 as at 1 September 2025 Number % Total Medically Non Deployable13,113 All ICD-10 coded Medically Non Deployable12,3991001. Musculoskeletal disorders (M00 - M99) and Injuries (S00 - T98)5,376432. Mental and behavioural disorders (F00 - F99)2,747223. Factors influencing health status (Z00 - Z99)94274. Clinical and laboratory findings (R00 - R99)56144 Digestive system disorders (K00 - K93)4263 Ear and mastoid process diseases (H60 - H95)4093 Circulatory system disorders (I00 - I99)3983 Neoplasms (C00 - D48)2762 Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic (E00 - E90)2351 Nervous system disorders (G00 - G99)2331 Genitourinary system diseases (N00 - N99)1941 Skin and subcutaneous tissue diseases (L00 - L99)1781 Respiratory system disorders (J00 - J99)1281 Eye and adnexa diseases (H00 - H59)107<115. Blood disorders (D50 - D89)48<1 Infectious and parasitic diseases (A00 - B99)39<1 Congenital malformations (Q00 - Q99)33<1 Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00 - O99)16<1DMICP description not codable in ICD-10321 No board information on DMICP393 1 Figures provided are for full time trained (Royal Navy and RAF)/trade trained (army) and serving againstrequirement personnel.2 Principal read code and description recorded at medical board was converted to the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems Tenth Revision (ICD-10) coding scheme.3 All percentages are of the number of cause coded Medically Not Deployable downgrades.4 Pregnancies reported within the ‘Factors influencing health status’ ICD category include all healthy pregnancies. Any downgradings related to complications with pregnancy are included within the ‘Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium’ category.5 Clinical and laboratory findings include symptoms and abnormal clinical findings - such as irregular heartbeat and abdominal pain - which are ill-defined and may not have a diagnosis that can be elsewhere classified. Personnel graded as MND are not fit to deploy on Operations; however, they may be deployable on UK based exercises. Personnel graded MND as at 1 September, and included in this response, may not have been scheduled to deploy and the medical condition may not have prevented deployment.