Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) South Gloucestershire Council and (b) National Highways on the delivery of M4 junction 18A.

Answered by Guy Opperman

The Department and National Highways recognises the creation of a proposed new Junction 18A on the M4 to the northeast of Bristol as a priority for South Gloucestershire Council and other local stakeholders. I know the Department and National Highways look forward to working with South Gloucestershire Council on suitable proposals.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of plans to reform the fit note process on people with mental ill health.

Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities

Good work is good for health. We know that good work can positively impact people’s physical and mental health and wellbeing. We also know that tailored work and health support can help break down the kinds of barriers that can make finding and staying in a job more difficult for those with mental health conditions.

In 2023, 24% of fit note episodes had a known diagnosis and of those, 33% are for mental and behavioural disorders. We are reforming the fit note process so that it starts with an assessment of what someone can do with the right support, rather than what they cannot. This builds on the £795m investment we made at Autumn Statement for additional funding over five years for mental health services to help support people with mental ill health to gain and/or retain employment, as well as our successful Employment Advisers in NHS Talking Therapies programme, which is now being rolled out across England.

Our ambition is to bring together preventative healthcare and employment systems to support people who are at risk of falling out of work or who have already fallen out of work due to ill health. We continue to work with stakeholders including mental health organisations and those with lived experience, to co-develop this policy, this includes seeking insight and evidence via a public call for evidence.

This work is an essential part of the Government’s ambition to improve health outcomes, and help people get access to the support they need to return to, remain and thrive in work.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the corporate report entitled Animals in Science Regulation Unit annual report 2022, published on 25 April 2024, if he will make an assessment of the reasons for increases in incidents involving failure to provide adequate care for animals.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Shadow Minister (Home Office) (Security)

The Home Office takes non-compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 very seriously. The numbers of non-compliance cases vary in any given year. In 2022 the Animals in Science Regulation Unit introduced improvements in how non-compliance is reported, which includes self-reporting. The self-reporting of non-compliance by establishments is vital to assure a culture of compliance. The increase in numbers of reported non-compliances in the annual report was driven by increased self-reporting.

The Animals in Science Regulation Unit will further evaluate trends in non-compliance as its regulatory reform programme develops. Every case is investigated, and remedies and sanctions applied according to its published non-compliance policy.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take steps to strengthen sanctions for those who breach conditions of a licence to conduct animal experiments for scientific research.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Shadow Minister (Home Office) (Security)

The Home Office takes non-compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 very seriously.

The Animals in Science Regulation Unit applies sanctions in cases of non-compliance in accordance with its compliance policy, which aims to reduce the risk of future non-compliance.

More rigorous sanctions are used in cases where animal welfare is impacted or there are significant systems failures.

Found: ; Helen Hayes MP (Labour, Dulwich and West Norwood); Marco Longhi MP (Conservative, Dudley North); Kerry

Found: I am also copying to Theresa Villiers MP, Kerry McCarthy MP, Olivia Blake MP, and Toby Perkins