Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Animals in Science Regulation Unit annual report 2022, published on 25 April 2024, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to (a) help increase compliance with (i) legislation and (ii) licence conditions with respect to the provision of care for animals and (b) support the replacement of animal (A) research and (B) testing with (1) organ-on-a-chip, (2) computer modelling and (3) other human-specific technologies.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat
The Home Office Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) has embarked on an ambitious agenda of regulatory reform. The ASRU Regulatory Reform Programme aims to deliver leading regulatory practice, improving how ASRU meets best practice regulatory standards, and enhancing ASRU’s ability to protect animals in scientific testing and research. As part of reforms ASRU will be reviewing and strengthening its licensing and audit processes, with a focus on improving compliance with the legislation and providing a quality service to the science sector.
This Government has committed to soon publish a plan to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of technologies and methods to reduce reliance on the use of animals in science. The Government recently announced that it will double investment, from £10m to £20m per annum, in research to achieve the three Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement) with a focus on the development of non-animal alternatives.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to end the use of cages in farming.
Answered by Mark Spencer
We have delivered an ambitious legislative programme since the publication of the Action Plan for Animal Welfare, which will deliver significant improvements for animals in the UK and abroad. We are firmly committed to maintaining our strong track record on animal welfare and to delivering continued improvements, both in the course of this Parliament and beyond.
Mindful of the challenges facing the sector, we are not consulting on cage reforms. The market is already driving the move away from using cages for laying hen production. Egg producers and consumers should rightly have pride in the quality of British eggs, with about 75% coming from free range, barn and organic production systems. The UK also has a significant outdoor pig sector with 40% of the national sow breeding herd farrowing freely on outdoor units with no option for confinement.
We continue to work with the farming industry to maintain and enhance our high standards of animal welfare. The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, part of our domestic agricultural policy, supports farmers to produce healthier, higher welfare animals. The Government’s welfare priorities for the Pathway include supporting producers to transition away from confinement systems.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help support the transition to (a) humane and (b) sustainable livestock farming.
Answered by Mark Spencer
We are committed to investing in targeted schemes that support sustainable farming whilst improving the viability of farming businesses, delivering environmental outcomes and supporting sustainable food production.
Through the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway we are providing support directly to farmers in England to deliver gradual, continual improvement against a series of livestock health and welfare priorities, including tackling key endemic diseases alongside a range of welfare issues whilst ensuring that farmers can produce good quality food for the nation.
The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill is now awaiting Royal Assent; this will ban the export of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses for slaughter and fattening from Great Britain, stopping unnecessary stress, exhaustion and injury.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many licences were active that authorise use of the forced swim test as of 3 May 2024; and how many licences were amended to no longer authorise use of this test since the letter from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State to the Animals in Science Committee on 1 March 2024.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat
The Home Office committed to review all licences authorising the use of the forced swim test (FST) under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 by the end of March 2024 and has subsequently liaised with licence holders where necessary to implement the recommendations of the Animals in Science Committee.
Since 1 March 2024, three project licences have been amended to remove authorisation of the FST, one project licence that authorised the FST has expired, and two project licences that authorised the FST have been revoked.
As of today, three project licences authorise the use of the FST. The Home Office is engaging with the relevant licence holders to ensure the recommendations of the Animals in Science Committee are implemented in full for those licences.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his expected timetable is for reviewing the use of cages for laying hens.
Answered by Mark Spencer
We have delivered an ambitious legislative programme since the publication of the Action Plan for Animal Welfare, which will deliver significant improvements for animals in the UK and abroad. We are firmly committed to maintaining our strong track record on animal welfare and to delivering continued improvements, both in the course of this Parliament and beyond.
Mindful of the challenges facing the sector, we are not consulting on cage reforms. The market is already driving the move away from using cages for laying hen production. Egg producers and consumers should rightly have pride in the quality of British eggs, with about 75% coming from free range, barn and organic production systems.
We continue to work with the farming industry to maintain and enhance our high standards of animal welfare. The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, part of our domestic agricultural policy, supports farmers to produce healthier, higher welfare animals. The Government’s welfare priorities for the Pathway include supporting producers to transition away from confinement systems.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timescales are for publishing the results of the consultation entitled The Fur Market in Great Britain, which closed on 31 May 2021.
Answered by Mark Spencer
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 23 April 2024 to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green, PQ 22091.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2024 to Question 14260 on Genomics: China, whether the programme of work to assess risks from biological data will include a review of (a) BGI Group, (b) MGI Tech and (c) other companies linked to the Chinese state.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
Through the delivery of our Biological Security Strategy, the Government is committed ensuring the UK is resilient to a spectrum of biological threats, as well as being a world leader in innovation. As part of this Strategy, the Government is undertaking a programme of work to assess how we can minimise the risks from biological data to protect our burgeoning bioeconomy and build confidence in sharing personal data to improve health outcomes in the UK and across the world. This review covers the extent to which the UK shares data with certain companies.
Currently, organisations which hold sensitive biological data are subject to the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In addition, organisations such as Genomics England, UK Biobank and NIHR BioResource actively consider national security in decision making about partnerships with companies overseas. These organisations consult with security personnel on a regular basis to ensure partnerships are aligned with our national security interests.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Deputy Prime Minister's oral statement of 11 September 2023 on Security Update, Official Report, column 673, whether he has made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of designating the genomics sector as Critical National Infrastructure.
Answered by John Glen
The genomics sector is not currently designated as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). There is a strict framework for classification: CNI assets and systems are those that have been assessed as having a significant and catastrophic impact to the functioning of the UK – either through the loss of life or limb, on the economy, or national security, defence or the functioning of the state – should they be disrupted or compromised. The threshold is a high bar so that resources are focused on the highest priority, and most critical, assets and systems.
There are strong and sufficient provisions protecting UK genomics databases, including through the UK Data Protection Act (2018), which delivers a data protection framework tailored to the needs of our criminal justice agencies and intelligence services. The relevant genomics data is additionally held within Secure Data Environments, affording further security protections.
As with all parts of the CNI landscape, we commit to keeping this position under review.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information her Department holds on the number of non-invasive pre-natal tests branded as NIFTY and manufactured by BGI Group have been sold in the UK.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The Department and NHS England do not hold information on the sales within the United Kingdom of the non-invasive pre-natal tests branded as NIFTY, manufactured by BGI Group. The NHS Supply Chain, who manage the sourcing, delivery, and supply of healthcare products, services, and food for National Health Service trusts and healthcare organisations across England, develop procurement frameworks which enable NHS organisations to buy goods and services from suppliers. NHS Supply Chain has confirmed that non-invasive pre-natal tests branded as NIFTY and manufactured by BGI Group, are not on their procurement framework.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure customers of Southern Water are able to install water efficiency measures in their meter chambers.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Southern Water is developing its next Water Resources Management Plan and its draft plan included the proposed to update water meters with smart meters across its customers by 2030 through an extensive replacement programme. The company plans to undertake 10,000 household water audits per year. The company is due to reconsult on its plan this summer. It will not be granted permission to finalise its plan until Defra are satisfied that it is appropriate, including assurance that the water efficiency programme is robust, sufficiently ambitious and enables customers to be efficient with the water they use.
Most water efficiency interventions by water companies are directed to water use within properties. Southern Water have not specified measures beyond smart metering that directly involve the meter chamber. Water meters are normally water company property and measures in the meter chamber would not usually be undertaken by customers.
Southern Water reported through its 2022/23 annual review that it had undertaken smart water meter trials in 1500 homes. The average water use across Southern Water households was 128 litres per person per day in 2022/23, in line with its forecasts and below the latest national average of 141. The Environment Agency and Defra track whether water companies are effectively reducing water consumption across household and business customers each year and escalate concerns where applicable.