Oral Answers to Questions

Irene Campbell Excerpts

Wednesday 25th February 2026 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I know how important it is that we fix the crumbling roads that we inherited from the Conservative party. The hon. Gentleman’s county council will receive over £225 million as part of our £7.3 billion investment to tackle potholes. We are also implementing tough new standards so that councils have to prove that they are fixing the roads properly, and delivering £78 billion for councils to ensure that they can deliver excellent local services.

[Irene Campbell (North Ayrshire and Arran) (Lab)]

Q11. In 2024, 2.64 million animals were used in medical experiments in the UK. As chair of the all-party parliamentary group on phasing out animal experiments in medical research, I think it is important to note that an estimated 92% of drugs fail in human clinical trials, even though they have passed pre-clinical tests, including animal tests. Innovative non-animal research methods are increasingly available and provide viable alternatives. I very much welcome our “Replacing animals in science” strategy, but for this to be meaningful, a robust implementation timeline must be set. I ask the Prime Minister to consider leading the way by introducing an immediate ban on the use of dogs in these often-horrific experiments.

[The Prime Minister]

May I thank my hon. Friend for her dedicated work on this issue? We are committed to phasing out animal testing wherever possible. Last year’s strategy, backed by £75 million, will accelerate new alternative testing methods. Alongside banning puppy farming and introducing stronger standards for zoos, we are ensuring that the UK is a world leader in animal welfare.