Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement will include (a) zoo animals that are part of conservation breeding programmes, (b) plants intended for conservation purposes and (c) biological samples used in (i) conservation and (ii) research.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As announced at the UK-EU Leaders’ Summit on 19 May 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area, aimed at reducing trade barriers and facilitating the safe and efficient movement of trade. With the principles and framework of a deal agreed, we will now negotiate the detail of an agreement that reduces administrative burden by streamlining SPS checks and certification, while upholding the UK’s commitment to ensure its biosecurity is protected within this future framework.
We continue to work with the Animal and Plant Health Agency and a wide range of stakeholders, including the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), to address immediate challenges regarding EU trade – such as the availability of Export Health Certificates and Border Control Post capacity.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to insource public services.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government is determined to deliver high quality public services and better value for money for the taxpayer. To further this aim, we have committed to introducing a public interest test to assess whether expiring contracts could be better delivered, and drive better value for money, in-house. This will ensure that we make evidenced-based decisions on the best way to deliver public services.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 30 April 2025 to Question 46724, what steps his Department is taking to support research into (a) non-animal New Approach Methodologies and (b) alternatives to animal testing.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to the development of New Approach Methodologies and non-animal alternatives. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has a portfolio of investments that support research which can lead to alternatives, such as organ on a chip and computer modelling. In addition they invest £10m annually to the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs). UKRI also supports ‘human-specific’ research, for example a £15m call on Novel human in vitro models with NC3Rs and Wellcome.
The Government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2025 to Question 21608 on Cephalopods and Shellfish: Animal Welfare, what estimate she has made of when the Animals in Science Committee will conclude its work on the future options for the regulation of the use of decapod crustaceans in scientific research.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not require advice from the Animals in Science Committee at this stage but will be guided by decisions made under the Animal Welfare Act regarding any consideration as to whether decapod crustaceans are regulated under the Animals (Scientific Procures) Act 1986.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2025 to Question 38034, if he will establish an expert advisory group of representatives from (a) industry, (b) academia and (c) civil society to oversee the implementation of its forthcoming strategy on phasing out animal testing.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”. The government has been consulting industry, academia and civil society as this process unfolds.
The Government is drafting a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods. As part of this, we are considering how we harness expertise in the use of animals in science and their replacement, which is of interest to a variety of government departments and bodies. We will make any announcements when the strategy is published later this year.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a veterinary agreement with the EU.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Prime Minister welcomed President of the European Commission Ursula Von Der Leyen and President of the EU Council António Costa to London for a UK-EU Summit on 19 May.
At that Summit we have agreed the parameters for a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement making agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and red tape for British producers and retailers, and increasing choice in the shops.
This agreement will reduce delays and paperwork at the border, make it easier and cheaper to take pets on holiday into the EU, and trade in products such as fresh sausages and burgers will be able to resume.
The holistic merits of an SPS agreement could see an increase in the volume of UK exports of major agricultural commodities to the EU by around 16% and increase imports from the EU by around 8%; the agreement could also add up to £5.1 billion a year to our economy in the long run. Specifically, GB goods such as dairy, fish, eggs and red meat currently subject to 100% documentary checks and up to 30% physical checks will see these removed entirely; further merits can be found at UK-EU Summit - Explainer - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information her Department holds on the number and proportion of applications for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority outside the two-year time limit for which discretion was applied in (a) 2020, (b) 2021, (c) 2022, (d) 2023, (e) 2024 and (f) 2025.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The table below shows the number and proportion of resolved applications in each calendar year where the two-year time limit was extended.
Column A: Calendar year of decision | Column B: Total resolved applications | Column C: Resolved applications received outside time limit | Column D: Resolved applications where time limit was extended | Column E: Resolved applications where time limit was extended as a proportion of all applications received outside the time limit |
2020 | 27,866 | 4,139 | 3,615 | 87.3% |
2021 | 28,471 | 5,223 | 4,391 | 84.1% |
2022 | 33,843 | 6,352 | 5,257 | 83.8% |
2023 | 36,783 | 6,846 | 5,279 | 77.1% |
2024 | 35,279 | 7,102 | 4,750 | 66.9% |
2025 to date | 14,207 | 3,235 | 1,971 | 60.9% |
The above information relates to applications made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 (the Scheme) only. For minor applicants, the two-year time limit depends on when the incident was reported to the police. We have taken that into account in the above response.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in what proportion of cases in which an applicant to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme had a criminal conviction did the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority apply discretion in (a) 2020, (b) 2021, (c) 2022, (d) 2023, (e) 2024 and (f) 2025.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The table below shows the number and proportion of resolved applications in each calendar year where the applicant had an unspent conviction and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) applied discretion to make an award.
Calendar year of decision | Resolved applications where the applicant had an unspent conviction and the CICA applied discretion to make an award |
2020 | 315 (1.1% of total resolved applications) |
2021 | 269 (0.9% of total resolved applications) |
2022 | 277 (0.8% of total resolved applications) |
2023 | 265 (0.7% of total resolved applications) |
2024 | 254 (0.7% of total resolved applications) |
2025 (to date) | 97 (0.7% of total resolved applications) |
The above information relates to applications made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 (the Scheme) only.
We cannot provide the total number of applications where the applicant had an unspent conviction. This information is only recorded where the unspent conviction results in a refusal decision or a reduced award.
Annex D to the Scheme provides that an award will not be made to an applicant with an unspent conviction of a prescribed type. Where the applicant has an unspent conviction of a different type, Annex D provides that an award will be withheld or reduced unless there are exceptional reasons not to withhold or reduce it.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average processing time was for applications to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme by people living in Rotherham in each of the last five years.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The table below shows the average time for decisions to be made on applications* for criminal injuries compensation by people resident in Rotherham**.
Financial Year of CICA decision | Average time (days) |
2020-21 | 292 |
2021-22 | 337 |
2022-23 | 463 |
2023-24 | 363 |
2024-25 | 367 |
* The table does not include archived bereavement applications because the address of the applicant is not retained. In most cases, applications are archived three years after the case has been closed.
** The above table includes all awards where the applicant named Rotherham as the town in their home address in their application.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take legislative steps to restrict bottom trawling of sandeel fish in the North Sea.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Fishing for sandeel in UK waters of the North Sea and all Scottish waters has been prohibited since March 2024. Fisheries management is largely devolved. In England, the prohibition of fishing for sandeel in the North Sea is implemented through fishing vessel license restrictions. There are currently no plans for to enforce this prohibition in England through legislation.