Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, 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.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
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 Deployable | 13,113 |
|
All ICD-10 coded Medically Non Deployable | 12,399 | 100 |
1. Musculoskeletal disorders (M00 - M99) and Injuries (S00 - T98) | 5,376 | 43 |
2. Mental and behavioural disorders (F00 - F99) | 2,747 | 22 |
3. Factors influencing health status (Z00 - Z99) | 942 | 7 |
4. Clinical and laboratory findings (R00 - R99)5 | 614 | 4 |
| 426 | 3 |
| 409 | 3 |
| 398 | 3 |
| 276 | 2 |
| 235 | 1 |
| 233 | 1 |
| 194 | 1 |
| 178 | 1 |
| 128 | 1 |
| 107 | <1 |
15. Blood disorders (D50 - D89) | 48 | <1 |
| 39 | <1 |
| 33 | <1 |
| 16 | <1 |
DMICP description not codable in ICD-10 | 321 |
|
No board information on DMICP | 393 |
|
1 Figures provided are for full time trained (Royal Navy and RAF)/trade trained (army) and serving against
requirement 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.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on talks with the EU on joining Security Action for Europe.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK and the EU are already working constructively to implement and build on our landmark Security and Defence Partnership. In order to effectively deter against increased aggression, we need to strengthen our shared defence industrial base to ensure Europe is able to secure the critical capabilities needed at the necessary speed, scale and value for money. As part of these efforts and recognising the important role that the UK’s world-leading defence industry already plays for European security, this Government is taking forward discussions on a bilateral participation agreement with the EU for enhanced cooperation under the SAFE instrument.
While we will not pre-empt the outcome of discussions with our European partners, this Government would only agree to a deal if we were satisfied it provided value to the UK and UK industry. Discussions with our EU friends continues and we will update the House in due course of progress in the usual ways.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, 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.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
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.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, 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.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
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.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support prepayment meter customers unable to access (a) heating and (b) power.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
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 consultation closes on Thursday 20 November.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, 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.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The number of working days Armed Forces personnel were absent owing to dental issues is not centrally recorded by the Department.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of poor dental health among (a) applicants, (b) recruits and (c) armed forces personnel on the UK's defence capability.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Defence is committed to maintaining a dentally fit force to enhance force generation and operational capability. The Defence Medical Services conducted a full Oral Health Needs Assessment in 2023 which delivered an overview of the oral health needs of the Defence population, including applicants, recruits and Armed Forces personnel.
A large proportion of applicants and recruits come from deprived communities where poorer oral health is seen. For applicants who do not meet the minimum dental entry standards, recruitment partners may offer limited financial assistance towards the cost of dental treatment to bring the applicant to the minimum entry standard. If an applicant requires minor remedial dental work, the applicant may be able to join and the treatment provided during basic training; however, this treatment cannot impact basic training.
For recruits and Armed Forces personnel, Defence Dentistry provides an occupationally focused service. Treatment delivered throughout Phase 1 and 2 of training normally addresses most dental issues; however, feedback from dental centres indicates a deterioration in the dental health of recruits, which could be attributed to difficulties in accessing NHS dental care.
To monitor dental fitness, Armed Forces personnel are assigned a NATO classification (or Dental Fitness Class). NATO Category 2 patients require minor interventive treatment or treatment aimed at preventing disease and NATO Category 3 patients require treatment for conditions which are likely to result in issues within a year if left untreated. These categories of patients are a priority for treatment.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to set out a timeline for reforming the SEND system.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
This government is determined to deliver reform that stands the test of time and rebuilds the confidence of families, which is why we’re launching a further period of listening and engagement – testing our proposals with parents, teachers and experts in every region of the country, so that lived experience and partnership are at the heart of our solutions.
We know that families are crying out for change, and that is exactly why it is critical we get this right. We will set out the full Schools White Paper in the new year, building on the work we’ve already done to create a system that’s rooted in inclusion, where children receive high-quality support early on and can thrive at their local school.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Independent Monitoring Authority for the Citizens Rights Survey 2025, published on 1 October 2025, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle discrimination in (a) work and (b) public services against EU citizens living in the UK.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The UK takes seriously its obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement, including those set out in Article 23 on equal treatment of EU citizens and in Article 24 on the rights of workers. EU nationals with a status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) are entitled to work in the UK and can access public services subject to relevant criteria depending on the service.
The Equality Act 2010 (the Act) provides legal protection for the protected characteristic of race, which includes colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origins to everyone in the UK, including EU citizens. This means the Act provides protection against unlawful racial or ethnic discrimination in employment and in other areas covered by the Act such as services, transport, education and housing.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, 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.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England publishes data on hospital admissions, which is available at the following link:
To 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 bands | England | NHS FRIMLEY ICB | NHS SURREY HEARTLANDS ICB | Surrey ICBs Total |
60-69 | 3,456,537 | 33,870 | 56,865 | 90,735 |
70-79 | 4,190,011 | 41,980 | 72,905 | 114,885 |
80-89 | 3,126,025 | 34,655 | 61,565 | 96,220 |
90 and over | 809,545 | 9,795 | 18,750 | 28,545 |
Source: NHS England Digital