Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will review the use of generic service licences for animal experiments, granted without identification of the specific substance to be tested, and what steps she is taking to ensure that a robust harm-benefit analysis is undertaken before such licences are authorised.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

All project licence applications for the use of animals in scientific procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, including service licences, are reviewed by trained Home Office inspectors prior to being authorised. Licences may only be granted where there are no suitable alternatives to animal use and where the likely harms to animals are justified by the expected benefits, as determined through a harm-benefit analysis.

Regulatory studies under service licences use standardised methods to generate evidence required to support the safe development and use of medicines and other products, meaning the benefits of the work are clearly defined in advance. Where the specific substances are not all known at the point of licence application, applicants provide information on the overall categories of substances to be tested. Inspectors consider the scientific purpose of the proposed studies and the regulatory questions they are intended to address, enabling a robust harm-benefit analysis.

The Animals in Science Committee recently conducted a review of service licences using non-human primates, and the Government responded to these recommendations in June. The Committee will continue to undertake licence reviews to strengthen protections for animals in science. The themes for future reviews will be determined in due course.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government has assessed (a) the impact of the zero rate of VAT on the installation of energy-saving materials on the uptake of such materials and (b) the potential impact on households and businesses of the scheduled expiry of that zero rate in March 2027.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)

This Government is committed to improving the quality and sustainability of our housing stock, through improvements such as low carbon heating, insulation, solar panels, and batteries.

Installations of qualifying energy-saving materials (ESMs) in residential accommodation and buildings used solely for a charitable purpose benefit from a temporary VAT zero rate until March 2027, after which they will revert to the reduced rate of VAT at five per cent. This support – worth over £1 billion – will aid households and charities in improving the energy efficiency of their buildings, help to reduce carbon emissions, and ultimately help us to reach our ambitious Net Zero by 2050 target.

The temporary zero rate of VAT for ESMs took effect on 1 April 2022. The scope of the zero rate was extended on 1 February 2024. On both occasions, the Government published Tax Information and Impact Notes detailing the expected impacts of these policy changes. These documents can be found at the following links:

The Value Added Tax (Installation of Energy-Saving Materials) Order 2022 - GOV.UK

Extension of VAT energy-saving materials relief - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether animal welfare concerns relating to the Faroe Islands' grindadráp whale and dolphin hunt will be considered during the 2026 review of the UK–Faroe Islands trade agreement.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

By convening an annual Joint Committee, the UK-Faroes FTA provides an effective channel for UK officials from the Department for Business and Trade (in collaboration with other relevant government departments), to review a range of issues with the Faroe Islands. These include animal welfare, which was indeed raised by the UK at the latest Joint Committee, held on 3 June 2026 in London. The Government does and will continue to advocate for the end of all cetacean hunting in the Faroe Islands at every appropriate opportunity.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to end the use of fast-growing broiler chicken breeds in UK poultry production.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 16 March 2026 to the hon. Member for Stockport, PQ UIN 118907.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in preparing the Heathrow Expansion Appraisal Report, what consideration her Department gave to modelling the potential monetised costs of noise pollution from expansion.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Heathrow Expansion Appraisal Report estimates monetised disbenefits of noise to be approximately -£1.6 billion (2024 prices) over a 60-year appraisal period. This reflects the estimated increased noise exposure causing health, annoyance and sleep disturbance impacts.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to increase the length of the night period when local communities are not exposed to aircraft noise from Heathrow.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government sets noise controls at Heathrow which include limits on the number of aircraft movements permitted between 11.30pm and 6am.

The current night flight regime runs from October 2025 to October 2028. Any changes to the regime from October 2028, including changes to the night period, will be subject to a consultation. We aim to publish a consultation on this early next year.

Separately, on 18 June the Department published a public consultation on the draft revised Airports National Policy Statement, now renamed the Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement (HENPS). The draft HENPS sets out requirements on noise mitigation that any successful scheme for expansion should meet, including a scheduled night flight ban of 6.5 hours between the hours of 11pm and 7am.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to produce noise assessments to reflect the best and worst case scenarios that may be created by expansion at Heathrow in terms of a) numbers of people exposed to noise b) number of people currently overflown who will experience an increase in noise and c) the number of people who will be newly exposed to aircraft noise pollution.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As part of the department’s review of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) it commissioned the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to model expected impacts of aircraft noise for an expanded Heathrow. Outputs of this work are set out in an annex to the Appraisal of Sustainability published on 18 June as part of the public consultation on the draft revised ANPS, renamed the Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement (HENPS). This sets out estimates of the numbers of people exposed to different levels of aircraft noise before and after expansion.

The CAA modelling focused on the estimated total number of people impacted rather than distinguishing between individuals currently overflown who may experience increased noise exposure and those who may become newly affected. Results disaggregated to this level of detail are not currently available. As part of the consultation process, the department will keep under review if any further aircraft noise modelling is necessary.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, why the Appraisal of Sustainability of the draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement only modelled one set of indicative flight paths that seek to minimise the number of newly impacted people.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The analysis has used an indicative flight path design produced for the Airports Commission, which was considered the most relevant and reasonable by Department for Transport policy officials given information available at this time, in discussion with the CAA, NATS and Heathrow Airport Limited (as current airport operator). Work is currently underway to design modernised airspace for the whole London region in line with the CAA’s airspace change processes.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimates her Department has made of the monetised costs of aircraft noise pollution for communities under Heathrow flight paths exposed to noise above 43dB.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department does not routinely monetise the costs of noise from existing noise sources and has not made an estimate of such costs for communities under Heathrow flight paths exposed to noise above 43dB.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, why the Appraisal of Sustainability of the draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement only modelled one set of indicative flight paths that seek to minimise the number of newly impacted people.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The analysis has used an indicative flight path design produced for the Airports Commission, which was considered the most relevant and reasonable by Department for Transport policy officials given information available at this time, in discussion with the CAA, NATS and Heathrow Airport Limited (as current airport operator). Work is currently underway to design modernised airspace for the whole London region in line with the CAA’s airspace change processes.

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

The Committee is examining the UK Government’s approach to Syria following the collapse of the Assad Regime in December 2024 and the establishment of a transitional government. 

Submit Evidence (by 3 Sep 2026)

The National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence Review identify Russia as the most acute threat to the UK. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK Government has focused its defence and foreign policy posture on visible and practical support for Ukraine. The Committee is launching an inquiry on Russia to consider the UK’s bilateral relationship and whether the UK’s long-term strategic approach to a post-conflict Russia is clearly defined.