Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for project licenses involving canines were refused by her Department in the last 12 months on the sole basis that a scientifically satisfactory (a) method and (b) testing strategy was already available.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office regulates the use of animals in science under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). Under ASPA, all project licence applications must comply with the principles of Replacement, Reduction and Refinement (the 3Rs), which set out that animals may only be used when no validated non-animal alternative exists, the number of animals is minimised, and any potential harms are minimised.
In the last twelve months, the Home Office has not refused any licences involving canines on the grounds that a scientifically satisfactory non-animal alternative method or testing strategy was available.
The number of formal refusals is not, however, a meaningful indicator of either application of non-animal alternatives or regulatory rigour. All applications go through multiple review stages before reaching the Home Office Regulator, and guidance is available to assist applicants in preparing submissions that meet all legal requirements. Only applications that fully meet the requirements of the legislation may be considered for licensing authorisation.
All establishments licensed to use animals must have an Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body (AWERB), which reviews proposals before they are submitted to the Regulator. Therefore, establishments’ internal review processes are intended to identify where suitable alternatives are available before applications are progressed to the Home Office.
Applications received by the Home Office are subject to detailed scrutiny, including requests for clarification or amendment where required. Applicants may revise or withdraw an application in response to feedback.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to mark Armed Forces Week.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
Armed Forces Day (AFD) is an annual opportunity for the nation to show support for the Armed Forces community, including serving personnel, Service families, veterans and cadets. Traditionally held on the last Saturday in June, AFD fell this year on Saturday 27 June. More than 250 events were planned across the UK, and the National Event was hosted in Aldershot by Rushmoor Borough Council. MOD supported AFD event organisers through the AFD Grant Scheme, which provided eligible events with grants of up to £10,000. For 2026, MOD supported 130 events across the UK with £430,000 of grant funding.
In the run-up to AFD itself, a series of events were held to build momentum and raise awareness. The programme began with AFD Northern Ireland, traditionally held on the preceding Saturday, this year on Saturday 20 June 2026 . As the only AFD event in Northern Ireland, it enabled maximum participation from supporting military units and allowed an event comparable in scale to the National Event. This year’s event was held in Coleraine, hosted by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council and Mayor Dawn Huggins. More than 20,000 visitors attended and enjoyed displays including the RAF Falcons parachute display team, a Dakota flypast from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF), and military assets such as Challenger 2, Warrior and Foxhound vehicles, alongside a gun salute.
On Monday 22 June 2026, AFD Flag Raising ceremonies took place across the UK, enabling the public, various institutions and local authorities to demonstrate their support for the Armed Forces community. A highlight was the ceremony held at the Palace of Westminster, hosted by the Speaker of the House of Commons and attended by the Defence Secretary, the Minister for the Armed Forces, the Minister for Veterans and People and the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS).
Wednesday 24 June 2026 was Reserves Day, recognising the valuable contribution Reservists make to the Armed Forces. Reservists were encouraged to wear their uniforms in their civilian workplace to highlight their service. A reception was hosted by the Prime Minister at No.10 Downing Street for MOD Civil Servants who serve also as Reservists.
On Saturday 27 June 2026, more than 230 AFD events took place across the UK in appreciation of the Armed Forces community. These ranged from small tea-party-style gatherings to large-scale events attracting more than 10,000 visitors, enabling communities nationwide to both recognise and thank the Armed Forces.
The national focus for AFD was Aldershot, where Rushmoor Borough Council hosted this year’s Armed Forces Day National Event (AFDNE). As Defence’s flagship AFD event, AFDNE provided a national platform to recognise serving personnel, veterans, reservists, cadets and their families. It was a major, multi-agency event involving the MOD, local authorities, blue-light responders, and tri-Service Defence capability. It supported the Strategic Defence Review’s aim of renewing the nation’s contract with those who serve. More than 15,000 visitors attended, viewing military stands and assets including an A400M, a BBMF Dakota flypast, Chinook and Apache AH-64 helicopters, and a military parade featuring serving personnel, cadets and veterans.
AFD and the events that led up to it provided the ideal platform to enable the nation to further understand, engage with, and celebrate the work of our Armed Forces community.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Answer of 30 June 2026 to Question 11617, what her planned timeline is for the regulatory acceptance of alternatives in pharmacokinetic and cardiovascular safety studies involving dogs; and what interim metrics are being used to measure canine reduction before the publication of the performance framework.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
The Replacing Animals in Science strategy includes a commitment to reduce the use of dogs in pharmacokinetic and cardiovascular safety studies by 35% by 2030, where scientifically justified and supported by validated alternatives. The Government is working with regulators, industry and other partners to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods needed to achieve this ambition. A publicly available dashboard of progress against the strategy’s key deliverables and key performance indicators is being developed, and the Government will publish a delivery update, alongside key performance indicators on progress across all elements of the strategy, later in 2026.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her Department's policy to (a) reduce and (b) reform stamp duty.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
The Government keeps all tax policy under review and any changes are announced at fiscal events.
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) continues to be an important source of Government revenue, raising around £14 billion each year to help pay for the essential services the Government provides.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department defines the statutory term scientifically satisfactory under Section 2A of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 as being legally dependent upon formal regulatory (a) validation and (b) acceptance by international bodies.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), the statutory duty in section 2A requires the Secretary of State to ensure compliance with the principles of replacement, reduction and refinement (3Rs principles). In relation to the principle of replacement, the statutory framework requires that, wherever possible, a scientifically satisfactory non‑animal method must be used instead of a regulated procedure.
ASPA does not prescribe in detail how “scientifically satisfactory” is to be assessed. That assessment is a matter of scientific and regulatory judgement, exercised in the context of the statutory framework (including consideration of a harm–benefit analysis and the wider 3Rs principles).
All project licence applications are subject to a rigorous harm-benefit analysis, required under ASPA. The harm-benefit analysis ensures that a project is only granted where a trained Home Office Inspector is satisfied that the likely harms to animals, including pain, suffering, distress and any lasting harm, are justified by the expected benefits for humans, animals or the environment.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his policy to fund the Type 83 Destroyer programme.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Investment Plan sets out the Royal Navy’s (RN) approach to delivering the UK’s most advanced maritime air defence capability and the rationale for this approach. Rather than delivering this capability through a small number of large and expensive Type 83 destroyers, the RN will instead invest in a hybrid mix of crewed and uncrewed capabilities that will be more suited to facing the threats of modern warfare. The RN will procure at least six Common Combat Vessels (CCV) which will act as a control hub for uncrewed systems, thus extending the Navy’s reach, resilience and lethality.