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

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to introduce a complete ban on the commercial movement of pregnant dogs, and (2) to increase the age at which puppies can be imported to six months.

Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government supports the Private Members’ Bill, Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, introduced by Selaine Saxby MP on restricting the importation and non-commercial movement of pets. The Bill contains powers that will enable future regulations for commercial and non-commercial movements of pets into the United Kingdom, including prohibiting the import of heavily pregnant dogs over 42 days gestation and puppies under six months old.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a complete ban on the (1) importation, and (2) sale, of dogs which have had (a) their ears cropped, or (b) their tails docked, for cosmetic reasons.

Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is already an offence in England and Wales to carry out a non-exempted mutilation, including the cropping of a dog’s ears or the docking of their tails. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 creates tougher penalties for anyone convicted of such an offence face, either being sent to prison for up to five years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both.

The Government supports the Private Members’ Bill, Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, introduced by Selaine Saxby MP on restricting the importation and non-commercial movement of pets. The Bill contains powers that will enable future regulations for commercial and non-commercial movements of pets into the United Kingdom including prohibiting the import of dogs with cropped ears and docked tails. This will prevent the import of non-exempted mutilated dogs for onward sale in the United Kingdom.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP/YOI Feltham, published on 12 March; and in particular, the finding that violence in classrooms and workshops has made young prisoners reluctant to attend education and rehabilitation sessions.

Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

We are grateful to the Independent Monitoring Board for its report, and for the vital work its members undertake to monitor the welfare of prisoners, to ensure that they are properly cared for. The report comments on the impact of staffing challenges affecting the regime at both HM/YOI Feltham A (young people under 18) and HMP/YOI Feltham B (adults and young adults over 18), as well as on the suitability of the education programmes available.

Since the end of the period covered by the Independent Monitoring Board’s report (1 September 2022- 31 August 2023), the staffing position at Feltham A has improved, and it now has the resources in place to provide a safe and productive regime for young people, with increased time-out-of-room.

The Youth Custody Service (YCS) has commissioned a resource review across all four public sector young offender institutions, to explore opportunities to make better use of the staff available in the current operating environment. This includes looking at the balance between management and frontline supervisory staff. The first review was at Feltham A in 2023, and a delivery plan following this review will be implemented shortly. The YCS will monitor the impact of this on service delivery. Support is also being provided at Feltham A to aid staff retention; sickness absence monitoring, with appropriate support, is a feature of regular management oversight.

The report of an Independent Review of Progress at Feltham B, conducted by HM Inspectorate of Prisons in January 2024, found that the prison had made reasonable progress in relation to encouraging positive behaviour. In addition, following a resource and risk assessment review, improved arrangements for purposeful activity are being put in place, to support the aim of reducing re-offending and increasing readiness for work, to help prisoners to gain employment upon release.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to review the standard duration of licences for animal research, and (2) to introduce more challenge into the system for granting such licences, given the pace of technological change in the sector.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office is going to conduct an internal review in relation to the duration of project licences for animal research under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), as announced in the parliamentary debate on 19 February 2024.

The use of animals in scientific procedures is only authorised by the Home Office Regulator where there is clear scientific benefit, to people, animals, or the environment. The regulatory framework has a rigorous approach to the application of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) in all applications for programmes of work involving animals. Establishments conducting research must have robust internal governance systems and processes that ensure the regulated activities carried out at the establishment are undertaken in accordance with the principles of the 3Rs. Our application of the 3Rs principles continuously evolves with scientific developments.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of new technologies and methods to reduce reliance on the use of animals in science; and what is their timetable for the publication of any such plans.

Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

On Monday 19th February, Andrew Griffith MP, Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation announced that the government will be publishing a plan to accelerate the development, validation, and uptake of technologies and methods to reduce reliance on the use of animals in science. This will be led by a cross-government group that will consult stakeholders in industry, academia, and charities to develop a detailed plan, which will be published in the summer.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to increase the fees for licences to use animals in scientific research, and (2) to seek to reduce the use of animals in such research.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government has laid a Statutory Instrument in parliament to increase the fees payable for licences under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) to come into effect on 6th April 2024.

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) and develop non-animal alternatives. The Government will also 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 is committed to opportunities for reducing the use of animals in scientific research. Specifically, this Government has recently accepted the recommendations of the independent Animals in Science Committee to further restrict the use of the forced swim test and apply enhanced scrutiny to any proposal to use it in research. However, we intend to go further and have set an aim to completely eliminate its use, thus driving the development and validation of suitable alternatives (see: www.gov.uk/government/publications/advice-on-the-use-of-the-forced-swim-test-letter-from-lord-sharpe/letter-from-lord-sharpe-of-epsom-responding-to-the-asc-forced-swim-test-report-accessible).