Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the project "Context, Value, and Decision Making From Synapses To Circuits", outlined in the Non-technical summaries for project licences granted April – June 2025 under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, published on 11 July, what assessment they have made of mice being given psychostimulant rewards, including cocaine and amphetamine; and how this is expected to benefit human beings, animals or the environment.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Every project application to use animals in science is subject to a robust and rigorous harm benefit assessment by a trained Home Office Inspector whom is a member of either the veterinary or medical profession. This ensures that any harm that may be caused to the animals is justified by the likely expected benefits for humans, animals or the environment. This project is researching basic neuroscience. The research aims to inform fundamental understanding of how neural networks work in healthy adults, and how this is altered by experience during adolescence.
Applications for animal research must conform with all legal requirements set out in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. This includes, applying the principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement).
The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) is engaging with stakeholders to finalise a strategy to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternatives to animal testing which is scheduled for publication later this year.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the non-technical summaries of project licences granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 between January and June, what assessment they have made of the number of animals approved to be used in procedures over the next five years under those licences.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is committed to ensuring that the use of animals in scientific research is strictly regulated and is only permitted where no suitable alternatives are available. In parallel, the Government is committed to working towards a vision of phasing out the use of animals in science. The Government will publish a strategy that describes how it will accelerate the development and uptake of alternative methods to animal research and testing later this year.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they are ensuring algorithmic transparency and bias mitigation in the Home Office English Language Test tender.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has an established assurance pathway for use of solutions including any algorithmic components. This includes complying with the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standards Hub and the Advanced Algorithms (including Artificial Intelligence) Policy.
The Home Office is currently conducting Market Engagement which will inform the contractual requirements which are currently in development. The tender will be conducted in accordance with the Sourcing Playbook and the Magenta book. Full details will be set out in the Tender Instructions.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to coordinate across the Home Office, Department for Education, and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, to ensure that English language tests used in immigration and education services are fit for purpose.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office recognises the importance of ensuring English Language Tests used across immigration and education services are fit for purpose.
We will continue to engage Other Government Departments as well as gathering insight and feedback to help shape the Home Office English Language Testing tender. The Home Office are working with the Government Digital Service within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology as part of our procurement approvals process and will continue to do so throughout this procurement.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will be adopting modes of English assessment based on at-home English proficiency tests within the planned Home Office English Language Test tender, and what risk assessment they have carried out in this regard.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is currently conducting Market Engagement to gather market insights on remote testing technology and its viability for the Home Office English Language Testing service. Before any decision can be made to formally include at-home English proficiency testing as part of the contract, the Home Office would ensure appropriate risk assessments are conducted to ensure compliance with Home Office policy.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cybersecurity implications of incorporating remote digital testing platforms into the forthcoming Home Office English Language Testing contract, and how they will ensure data security and fraud prevention across 142 countries.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is currently conducting Market Engagement to gather market insights on newly available and emerging technology in relation to remote testing, and the viability of incorporating this into the HOELT service.
Before any decision can be made to formally include remote testing as part of the Home Office English Language Testing contract, the Home Office would ensure a full Cyber Security Assessment including a Threat Assessment is conducted to ensure compliance with Home Office Policy.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recent research by the Manifesto Club which found that private enforcement companies now issue over 75 per cent of all penalties for breaches of public spaces protection orders on a payment-per-fine or otherwise incentivised basis; what assessment they have made of the risks associated with these arrangements; and what plans there are, if any, for the Home Office to follow DEFRA in introducing guidance that prohibits incentivised enforcement action.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
It is for local authorities to determine how to operate the powers granted to them in legislation.
Contracting enforcement to third parties is a common arrangement and it is for the local authority to ensure use of powers remains just and proportionate.
Contractors are bound by the same legal obligations, and the same safeguards in legislation, as councils themselves. Local authorities are also obliged to follow the rules set out in the Public Contract Regulations 2015 in appointment of such companies.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the recent publication of the Annual Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain 2023, whether they have considered the merits of legislative action such as 'Herbie's Law', to support a further decrease in the number of scientific procedures performed on living animals and to support the long-term phase-out of animal experiments in medical research by 2035.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) is leading on plans to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternatives to animal testing.
As yet, no assessment has been made of the potential merits of introducing Herbie’s Law.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the recent publication of the Annual Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain 2023, what plans they have to increase funding for the further development and uptake of human-specific methods that can replace the use of animals in medical research, such as computer modelling and organ-on-a-chip technology.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) is leading on plans to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternatives to animal testing.
As yet, no assessment has been made of the potential merits of introducing Herbie’s Law.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether Amazon Web Services has the right under its contract with the Home Office, agreed on 30 November, to move Home Office data out of the UK when it deems it necessary to provide the services initiated by the customer, as stated in the GDPR Data Processing Addendum attached to the contract.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The supplier shall not process or otherwise transfer Home Office data outside of the United Kingdom unless the prior written consent of the Home Office has been obtained.