Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the report Sustainable Alternatives to Culled Chicks as Captive Raptor and Reptile Feed published by the Vegetarian Society UK on 4 June 2026.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government will consider the Vegetarian Society UK’s report on alternative feed sources for raptors and reptiles as part of its work to work towards seeing an end the practice of culling male laying hen chicks.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, with reference to the Annual statistics of scientific procedures on living animals, Great Britain 2025, published in July 2026, what steps he is taking to replace the use of cats in science with human-specific technologies.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to reducing and replacing the use of specially protected species, including cats, in scientific research through the Replacing Animals in Science strategy. The strategy supports the development, validation and regulatory uptake of human-specific technologies, including advanced cell-based models, organ-on-a-chip systems, data-driven approaches and AI-enabled tools. The use of specially protected species remains subject to stringent controls and is permitted only where no validated alternative exists.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the proportion of vehicle miles she expects to be autonomous by 2035.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Full implementation of the Automated Vehicles Act in the second half of 2027 will help ensure that any automated vehicles operating on Great Britain’s roads can contribute to overall improvements in road safety.
This technology is expected to be deployed gradually, and overall uptake will depend on a range of factors, including operators being able to meet very high regulatory standards, commercial deployment models, local consent for automated passenger services and the pace of market development.
For these reasons, the overall uptake of automated vehicles is highly uncertain so no estimate of the proportion of vehicle miles which will be automated by 2035 has been made.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has issued guidance to local authorities on supporting people in social care accommodation to remain in the same town or local area when their accommodation is reallocated or closed.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Adult social care plays a vital role in supporting people to live independent, fulfilling lives. This Government understands how significant these services are for those who rely on them, as well as for their families, carers and local communities. Any proposal to change or close services must therefore be handled with sensitivity, transparency, and care.
Local authorities are best placed to understand local needs and to plan, shape and manage their care markets accordingly. While central Government is not involved in making these decisions, all local authorities must continue to meet their duties under the Care Act 2014, including the duty to promote individual wellbeing. This requires them to have regard to people’s views, wishes and feelings, and to engage meaningfully with those affected by any potential changes. This includes commissioning a variety of different providers and specialist services that provide genuine choice to meet the needs of local people and that offer quality and value for money.
When re-commissioning and replacing services, local authorities should carry out activities to maintain quality and service delivery that supports the wellbeing of those who draw on care and support. When a care home closes, it is important that the provider allows for proper arrangements to be made that ensures for the safe and satisfactory transfer of all residents to suitable care provision which meets their needs. Adequate time should be allowed, so that residents, their relatives and carers have a choice in alternative care provision and are caused the minimum possible discomfort.