Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department has taken under the Replacing Animals in Science strategy to establish a clear timeline for phasing out all animal experiments.

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

I refer the hon. Member for Putney to the answer given on 1 December 2025 to Question UIN 92600.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment to confirm that Elbit Systems UK does not produce, transfer, or stockpile cluster munitions within the UK.

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

In line with Public Procurement Regulations, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) conducts due diligence checks on its contractors. These include verification of a supplier's financial stability, operational capabilities, and regulatory compliance. Furthermore, the United Kingdom is a signatory to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (‘The Oslo Convention’) which comprehensively prohibits all use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of cluster munitions. The Department has no contracts with Elbit Systems UK for Cluster Munitions.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that contracts awarded to Elbit Systems UK are fully compliant with the United Kingdom's obligations under the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

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

In line with Public Procurement Regulations, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) conducts due diligence checks on its contractors. These include verification of a supplier's financial stability, operational capabilities, and regulatory compliance. Furthermore, the United Kingdom is a signatory to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (‘The Oslo Convention’) which comprehensively prohibits all use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of cluster munitions. The Department has no contracts with Elbit Systems UK for Cluster Munitions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure equitable interim access to omaveloxolone for patients with Friedreich’s Ataxia.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend on 3 December to Question 95051.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to conduct a review of JCVI eligibility criteria and to reinstate free Covid‑19 vaccinations for all clinically vulnerable people, in line with the existing approach to NHS flu vaccinations.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19.

The JCVI has advised that population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity following recovery from infection and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.

The focus of the JCVI advised programme has moved towards targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.

The Government has accepted the JCVI advice for autumn 2025 and in line with the advice, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups:

- adults aged 75 years old and over;

- residents in care homes for older adults; and

- individuals aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in the ‘immunosuppression’ sections of tables 3 or 4 in the COVID-19 chapter of the UK Health Security Agency Green Book.

Although seasonal flu and COVID-19 can both cause severe disease, they differ in their epidemiology and pathology. As such, the population groups at higher risk of severe disease will not necessarily be the same for each pathogen and the JCVI has considered each programme individually.

The JCVI keeps all vaccination programmes under review.

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Emily Thornberry (Chair); Fleur Anderson; Alex Ballinger; Aphra Brandreth

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Emily Thornberry (Chair); Fleur Anderson; Alex Ballinger; Aphra Brandreth

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Found: 2025-07-16 David Montgomery A discussion on integrated education in Northern Ireland Fleur Anderson

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