Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Department will consider conducting a review of the need for dogs across all areas of scientific research and testing.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Dogs are a specially protected species under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. They may only be used in research where the applicant demonstrates that the scientific objective cannot be achieved using a scientifically satisfactory non-animal method or by using another species. Every proposed programme of work is assessed by the Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) to assure that the use of animals is justified by the expected benefits, the minimum number of animals are used, and procedures are refined to minimise suffering.
The Government committed to accelerating the replacement of animals in science wherever scientifically possible. In November 2025, the Government published Replacing animals in science: a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, backed by £75 million in funding. The strategy includes specific commitments to reduce the use of dogs in science by 2030.
Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether data will be collected and reported for the use of polyclonal antibodies.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office collects and reports data on procedures for the routine production of blood-based products, which includes the production of polyclonal antibodies. Polyclonal antibody production may also be reported under the purposes of “Basic research” or “Translational/applied research”. Polyclonal antibody production is not currently reported separately in the annual statistics.
Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether he plans to (a) deliver the 2025 Replacing Animals in Science Strategy and (b) ensure that work under that strategy receives dedicated ministerial oversight and resources following departmental restructuring.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government remains committed to delivering the Replacing Animals in Science strategy, which sets out a long-term, cross-government programme to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods. Delivery is underway across Government departments and partner organisations, supported by funding secured through the Spending Review. Responsibility for overseeing delivery of the strategy sits with the Minister for Science, Innovation and Investment, Chris McDonald MP. A number of commitments are already in progress, including the establishment of a Pre-clinical Translational Models Hub and the UK Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (UKCVAM). The Government will publish a delivery update later in 2026.
Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the third UK Climate Change Risk Assessment's identification of risks to livestock from multiple climate hazards as a priority risk area, what steps her Department is taking to monitor and publish data on farmed animal deaths and welfare impacts from extreme weather; and what plans she has to include such indicators in the fourth National Adaptation Programme.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has a protocol to monitor animal welfare during high-risk weather periods and ensure keepers take steps to mitigate risks. The Food Standards Agency shares data with Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency for welfare issues originating on-farm and during transport. The Government has sought advice from the Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) on the impacts of climate change on farmed animal welfare and potential mitigations. Part 1 of the project is underway and focuses on poultry species, and Part 2 will cover pigs and ruminants. We are currently considering what indicators are included in the fourth Adaptation Plan.
Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what data her Department holds on the number of farmed animals that have required veterinary attention and/or died on-farm or in transport as a result of heat stress or other extreme weather events in each of the last five years, broken down by species.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government does not hold data on the number of farmed animals that have required veterinary attention and/or died on-farm due to heat stress.
Data from 2022 indicates that, in July and August 2022 when there was unprecedented hot weather in the UK, approximately 30,000 and 27,000 poultry respectively were reported to APHA as dead on arrival at slaughterhouses. The government does not hold such data for the years 2023-2025.
During the red warning period (24th-26th June), approximately 17,000 broilers, 600 hens, 70 turkeys, three pigs and one sheep were reported as dead on arrival at slaughterhouses due to suspected heat stress. Approximately 300 pigs were reported on arrival at slaughterhouses as exhibiting clinical signs consistent with heat stress.
Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the commercial viability of 'day-zero' systems where genetically edited breeding hens ensure only female layer chicks hatch, eliminating the need for male chick culling in the egg industry.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
As stated in the recently published Animal Welfare Strategy Defra will encourage industry to end the practice of culling male laying hen chicks. In recent years there has been rapid global progress in a range of technologies that could help end the routine culling of male chicks by identifying or determining the sex of chick embryos before hatching as set out in the Animal Welfare Committee’s ‘Opinion on alternatives to culling newly hatched chicks in the egg and poultry industries’. Whilst ‘day-zero’ systems are not yet commercially viable, Defra continues to follow developments in the space closely.
Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what comparative assessment her Department has made of the level of public funding allocated to (a) animal-based research and (b) non-animal New Approach Methodologies in the last five years.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) invests to support research which can lead to alternatives, such as organ-on-a-chip, cell-based assays, functional genomics and computer modelling. These are categorised as basic research, so calculating funding for New Approach Methodologies specifically is not possible. The Government has announced £75m of funding to accelerate alternatives and innovation, with new capabilities being developed across the UK. UKRI also invests in the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs).
Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help reduce the prevalence of tail docking on pigs.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department has recently engaged with the Pig Veterinary Society and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to reduce the prevalence of pig tail docking by working with the industry and the veterinary profession. Defra is now carefully considering the appropriate next steps, including the possibility of developing further guidance.
Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has considered whether the relationship between the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) and Understanding Animal Research (UAR), including NC3Rs’ sponsorship of UAR activities, ensures adequate levels of (a) balance and (b) engagement with relevant stakeholders, in the context of animal protection organisations not being included in NC3R organised events.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
The NC3Rs does not sponsor UAR activities beyond being a signatory and participant in the UK Concordat on Openness on Animal Research which is managed by UAR.
The NC3Rs works with a range of relevant stakeholders across the life sciences sector, including animal welfare organisations such as the RSPCA, to ensure balance and engagement in its programmes of work to advance the 3Rs.
Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of ensuring that the Treasury Green Book takes account of the statutory duty introduced by the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 in the appraisal of policies across government.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
HM Treasury published an updated version of the Green Book on 5th February, which acknowledges the statutory role of the ASC and includes language in paragraph 8.84 noting that appraisals should consider the effects of a proposal on the welfare of animals.