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 Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of claims that universities are threatening legal action against the Alan Turing Institute over cancelled partnerships.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Alan Turing Institute is currently undertaking a consultation process which will aim to concentrate the institute’s activities on fewer projects in line with its Turing 2.0 strategy. The Alan Turing Institute is an independent legal entity, so these consultations, and any related changes, are being handled internally within the institute.
It is important that the Institute delivers value for money and maximum impact for taxpayers, and we will continue our work to support that ambition.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential closure of the Public Policy Progamme at the Alan Turing Institute, as suggested by the recent departure of both co-directors; and what assessment they have made of the impact of this potential closure on the Institute’s charitable mission.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In 2024, the Quinquennial Review provided advice on how to strengthen successful delivery of the Turing 2.0 strategy and help shape its future direction in a rapidly changing artificial intelligence (AI) landscape.
Following this review, the Alan Turing Institute has launched a consultation process, which will aim to concentrate the institute’s activities on fewer projects in line with its strategy. The Alan Turing Institute is an independent organisation, and these consultations are being handled internally within the institute.
We note that the CEO of the Institute has recently announced her resignation. We will continue ensuring that the Institute delivers value for money to the taxpayer.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Alan Turing Institute's progress against the terms of its £100 million funding agreement, including delivery plans, annual reviews and current status of key performance indicators.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
While the Alan Turing Institute (ATI) has made progress with its recent reforms, further steps are needed to shift away from a broad portfolio of projects toward a more focused model.
In July, Secretary of State wrote to the ATI Board proposing a set of changes to the organisation that would shift its focus to national security, defence and sovereign capability. These reforms will build on the institute’s existing strengths and increase its capacity to deliver real value for the British public.
Government is working closely with UKRI and the ATI to deliver on SoS’ vision and remains committed to working with both organisations to drive progress at the cutting edge, support the government’s missions and attract international talent.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council’s reported response to concerns raised by staff about the Alan Turing Institute in December 2024 relating to: transparency around its financial position, duty of care obligations applying to publicly funded research institutions, and protections for staff raising concerns about governance and leadership.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Alan Turing Institute (ATI) is an independent organisation and is responsible for dealing with complaints raised by its staff or about its actions and decisions. As such, UKRI did not investigate the anonymous whistleblowing complaint but shared it with the appropriate whistleblowing team at ATI for them to investigate. The response to an independent review of that complaint was provided to UKRI in line with UKRI’s standard processes.
The government has been clear on the need for the Institute to deliver value for money and maximum impact for taxpayers, and we will continue our work to support that ambition.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much has been spent to date of the £740 million in capital funding they announced to support inclusive education, where this funding has been allocated, and how it will be used to support inclusion in mainstream education settings.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities or who require alternative provision sits with local authorities. The department provides local authorities with capital funding to support them to meet this duty and has published allocations for £740 million in High Needs Provision Capital Allocations for the 2025/26 financial year.
Individual local authorities’ allocations are published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/high-needs-provision-capital-allocations.
This funding can be used to adapt schools to be more accessible, to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit the pupils’ needs and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.
It is up to local authorities to determine how they prioritise their funding to address local need in the most appropriate way.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of interim data or findings from the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programme, and the success of the programme in building professional expertise among school staff.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
An independent evaluation of the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme is underway. Further information on this evaluation is available on Contracts Finder here: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/0a81fac4-1f16-427a-82d2-b4bbc44d9f21?origin=SearchResults&p=1. This evaluation will thoroughly explore the implementation and outcomes of the PINS programme so far, including to what extent the programme may have improved schools’ capability and capacity to support neurodivergent pupils. Interim findings from this evaluation are expected in autumn 2025 and will be published, in accordance with Government Social Research protocol.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to evaluate the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programme commissioned in April; and whether any evaluation will be made public.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
An independent evaluation of the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme is underway. Further information on this evaluation is available on Contracts Finder here: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/0a81fac4-1f16-427a-82d2-b4bbc44d9f21?origin=SearchResults&p=1. This evaluation will thoroughly explore the implementation and outcomes of the PINS programme so far, including to what extent the programme may have improved schools’ capability and capacity to support neurodivergent pupils. Interim findings from this evaluation are expected in autumn 2025 and will be published, in accordance with Government Social Research protocol.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the applicability of the Online Safety Act 2023 to artificial intelligence chatbot providers, including those that host user-generated chatbots; and what assessment they have made of whether further guidance or legislation is required in that area to ensure the protection of children.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
Generative AI services that allow users to share content with one another or that search live websites to provide search results are regulated under the Online Safety Act. This includes services which allow users to generate their own chatbots which are then made available to other users. The Act also regulates online services publishing and the display of pornographic content, including where that pornography is AI-generated.
The Government is committed to keeping young people safe online. The Secretary of State has been clear that we will not hesitate to strengthen the law further to ensure the safety of our children and the British public.