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.
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, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of heatwaves on demand for NHS services.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
A cross-Government collaboration, which includes the National Health Service and the Department, produces an annual Adverse Weather and Health Plan that incorporates heatwave preparedness measures. Services are expected to be prepared for periods of hot weather from 1 June to mid-September each year
NHS England recognises that extreme heat is now predicted to be a routine seasonal risk, rather than an exceptional event, and is committed to sharing key learnings from the recent period of hot weather to help further mitigate against any challenges.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in antisocial behaviour in town centres and residential areas.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government’s police reforms will protect and strengthen neighbourhood policing by freeing local forces, including Bedfordshire Police, from national responsibilities so they can focus on issues that matter most locally, like anti-social behaviour (ASB). Every police force in England and Wales now has an ASB lead in place who will work with communities, stakeholders and the general public to implement their individual ASB Action Plans, which were published at the start of April. Further information on the Bedfordshire Police ASB Action Plan can be found here: https://www.beds.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/asb/asb/antisocial-behaviour/antisocial-behaviour-action-plan/.
Through the Crime and Policing Act, we are making our streets and neighbourhoods safer by strengthening the powers available to the police and other agencies to tackle ASB. Our new Respect Orders will give local agencies stronger enforcement capability to tackle the most relentless adult ASB offenders.
We are also strengthening the powers available to the police and other local agencies by increasing the upper limit for fixed penalty notices for breaches of CPNs and PSPOs from £100 to £500, increasing the time a dispersal direction can be implemented for from 48 to 72 hours and giving registered social housing providers the power to issue closure notices, amongst others.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps her Department is taking to tackle antisocial behaviour.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government’s police reforms will protect and strengthen neighbourhood policing by freeing local forces, including Bedfordshire Police, from national responsibilities so they can focus on issues that matter most locally, like anti-social behaviour (ASB). Every police force in England and Wales now has an ASB lead in place who will work with communities, stakeholders and the general public to implement their individual ASB Action Plans, which were published at the start of April. Further information on the Bedfordshire Police ASB Action Plan can be found here: https://www.beds.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/asb/asb/antisocial-behaviour/antisocial-behaviour-action-plan/.
Through the Crime and Policing Act, we are making our streets and neighbourhoods safer by strengthening the powers available to the police and other agencies to tackle ASB. Our new Respect Orders will give local agencies stronger enforcement capability to tackle the most relentless adult ASB offenders.
We are also strengthening the powers available to the police and other local agencies by increasing the upper limit for fixed penalty notices for breaches of CPNs and PSPOs from £100 to £500, increasing the time a dispersal direction can be implemented for from 48 to 72 hours and giving registered social housing providers the power to issue closure notices, amongst others.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of strengthening guidance for courts and probation services on the link between animal cruelty and domestic abuse.
Answered by Catherine Atkinson
The Government recognises the link between animal cruelty and domestic abuse. Statutory guidance issued under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 is clear that harming, threatening to harm, or using pets to control, coerce or intimidate a victim can constitute domestic abuse, including controlling or coercive behaviour and emotional or psychological abuse. Statutory guidance on Coercive and Controlling Behaviour, an offence under the Serious Crime Act 2015, also clearly recognises such abuse.
In its Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy, published last December, the Government committed to updating both the Domestic Abuse and the Coercive or Controlling Behaviour Statutory Guidance by the end of 2026, to ensure they remain aligned with the current domestic abuse landscape and best practice, including on the linkages with animal and pet abuse. Both sets of guidance are aimed at frontline professionals working with victims and perpetrators, including the police, Crown Prosecution Service, probation, courts and other criminal justice agencies.
In the VAWG Strategy, to ensure that no opportunity is missed to protect victims and survivors, including those with pets, the Government also committed to:
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 progress her Department has made on considering the outcomes of the research project commissioned in summer 2025 on the link between animal abuse and domestic abuse.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government commissioned a research project, led by the University of Bristol, to explore the link between animal abuse and domestic abuse and to identify additional opportunities for intervention. We will consider the outcomes of this research once complete. We expect the final report to be published in 2027.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Competition and Market Authority's report entitled Housebuilding market study, published on 26 February 2024, whether she plans to implement the recommendations in that report.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This government is already acting on many of the CMA’s recommendations and remains fully committed to delivering solutions that address the challenges identified in its October 2024 market study into housebuilding.