Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the strategy Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods published on 11 November 2025, how many times the Alternative Methods Strategy Delivery Group has met since the publication of the strategy.

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

The Ministerial Alternative Methods Strategy Delivery Group met for the first time in March and is scheduled to meet quarterly, with the next meeting due to take place in June.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has considered introducing national provision to permit registered volunteer blood bike services to use bus lanes.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Installation of bus lanes is the responsibility of local traffic authorities. Whether to allow blood bike services to use bus lanes lies with local traffic authorities, taking into account the impact on bus services, compliance and enforcement considerations. The Department has no plans to mandate this nationally.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government’s review of the cost of public electric vehicle charging will consider the difference in VAT between public and domestic electric vehicle charging.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The supply of energy for domestic use attracts the reduced rate of VAT (five per cent). Whilst this relief was not designed or introduced for charging EVs at home, it applies for all uses of domestic energy, as it is not possible for energy companies to distinguish between electricity used to charge an EV and electricity used for general domestic purposes. Public EV charging, on the other hand, is subject to the standard rate of VAT (twenty per cent). This matches the VAT treatment of petrol and diesel, as well as all non-domestic electricity.

The Government will review the cost of public electric vehicle charging, looking at the impact of energy prices, wider cost contributors, and options for lowering these costs for consumers. Terms of Reference for the review will be set out in due course and the review will report later in 2026.