Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to promote alternative testing methods that reduce the use of animals in scientific research.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

On 11^th November the Government published “Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods”.

The strategy outlines our vision where animals are only used in research and development in exceptional circumstances. It lays out the steps the Government will take over the next five years towards achieving this, by creating a research and innovation system that replaces animals with alternative methods where scientifically possible.

The strategy spans discovery and translational research, chemical, environmental, safety and toxicity testing, and outlines timelines for replacement of specific uses of animals in science.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of walking, wheeling and cycling routes on disused railways to access to new housing sites.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The provision of walking, wheeling and cycling routes plays an important role in new developments and has wide ranging benefits, including reducing impacts associated with traffic, as well as supporting health and wellbeing.

The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that transport issues should be considered from the earliest stages of plan-making and development proposals, using a vision led approach to identify transport solutions that deliver well-designed, sustainable and popular places.

This includes identifying and pursing opportunities to promote walking and cycling, which could include routes on disused railways, to help ensure safe and suitable access to new housing sites for all users.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what regulatory framework his Department has in place to oversee AI systems capable of autonomously (a) developing and (b) modifying their own programming.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

AI is a general-purpose technology with a wide range of applications, which is why the UK believes that the vast majority of AI systems should be regulated at the point of use. A range of existing rules already apply to AI systems including data protection, competition, equality and sectoral regulation.

This is complemented by the work of the AI Security Institute which offers critical insights into the risks posed by frontier AI. The government is committed to taking further steps where required to ensure that the UK is prepared for the changes that AI will bring.

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 plans to take to support the expansion of residential solar panel installations.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government continues to support the installation of rooftop solar PV in various ways, for example through the Smart Export Guarantee, which enables households with solar panels to receive payment for excess electricity that is sold back to the grid.

We are investing £13.2bn in the Warm Homes Plan to help households take up measures like solar panels, heat pumps, batteries and insulation.

Additionally, the Government will publish the Future Homes Standard in the coming months which will ensure solar panels are installed on the vast majority of new build homes.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan will specify future air-to-air refuelling requirements.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The future requirement for all military capabilities is being considered as part of the Defence Investment Plan, which is due to be published this year.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the value for money of the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft contract since its commencement in 2008.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The RAF Voyager fleet provides value for money by serving as a versatile asset for air-to-air refuelling, strategic airlift, and VIP transport.

Under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract, Air Tanker is required to provide the Department with their performance data.

This gives the Department complete transparency, ensuring regular monitoring and compliance with the terms of the agreement.

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 potential merits of mandating the use of alternatives to snares for animal control practices.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

Defra has not made an assessment of the potential merits of mandating the use of any particular alternatives to snares for animal control practices.

This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation and this included a commitment to bring an end to the use of snare traps in England. Defra is considering the most effective way to deliver this commitment and will be setting out next steps in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 1 September 2025 to Question 69695, what are the timescales for improving access to palliative care at home for children nearing the end of life; and what assessment he has made of the (a) provision and (b) commissioning of such services in Bristol.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department and NHS England are currently working at pace to develop plans on how best to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan. I will be able to say more about our timelines for that work in the near future.

We will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative and end of life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.

Children’s palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and a service specification for children and young people.  The statutory guidance states that ICBs, including the NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB, must work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of palliative care and end of life care services to meet the needs of their local populations.

We are providing £26 million of revenue funding for children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. Jessie May Children’s Hospice in Bristol has received £182,000 from this funding. We are also committing £80 million for children’s and young people’s hospices over the next three financial years, giving them stability to plan ahead and focus on what matters most, caring for their patients.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with the BBC on journalists working for BBC Arabic who have made antisemitic and pro-Hamas comments.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

It is crucial that the BBC upholds the highest standards of reporting and impartiality, so it remains the most trusted news source in the UK and overseas. The BBC has rightly acknowledged where coverage, standards and enforcement of those standards has fallen short. We welcome the actions taken by the BBC to strengthen editorial quality and standards for the BBC Arabic Service, as set out in the BBC Chair's letter to the Media, Culture and Sport Committee of 10 November, and we will continue to demand both rapid implementation and rigorous monitoring of those changes.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information her Department holds on the proportion of BBC Arabic’s funding that is drawn from (a) grants from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and (b) the TV licence fee.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office grant funding to the BBC World Service does not allocate a specific amount to BBC Arabic.

Found: Chair); Rushanara Ali; David Baines; Lee Barron; Johanna Baxter; Mr Peter Bedford; Steve Darling; Damien Egan

Found: South) Mr Peter Bedford (Conservative; Mid Leicestershire) Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat; Torbay) Damien Egan

Found: present: Debbie Abrahams (Chair); Rushanara Ali; Johanna Baxter; Mr Peter Bedford; Steve Darling; Damien Egan