Ruth Jones

The fifth round of negotiations on an enhanced free trade agreement with Switzerland took place in London in October 2024. As part of that, negotiations on intellectual property continued to advance across a number of rights areas. The UK aims to agree a comprehensive IP chapter which builds on the UK and Switzerland’s existing high mutual standards, balances interests across all UK industries and sectors, and reaches an outcome that delivers for the whole of the UK.

The strategy uses ‘baskets’ to group animal tests according to their readiness for replacement, based on maturity of potential alternative methods. These initial baskets will be refined in consultation with stakeholders, noting that two LD/LC50 tests are already in baskets 1 and 2 (botulinum potency and fish acute toxicity tests respectively) so are among the first targeted for phase-out. The Acutox test is a non-regulatory test and not yet validated for use in safety assessments. We will establish a new UK Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (UKCVAM) to accelerate alternative method validation and uptake for regulatory decision making.

The Labour Manifesto commits to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal.

The government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods by the end of this year.

I refer the hon. Member for Newport West and Islwyn to the answer that was provided on 15 May 2025 to Question UIN 51423.

The Government is committed to supporting alternatives to animals in science and will publish a strategy to support their development, validation and adoption later this year. We have reviewed the European Commission's (EC) Life Sciences Strategy and engaged with the European Medicines Agency on accelerating the science-led adoption of alternatives for a range of uses of animals in science, including chemicals, medicines and cosmetics. Government officials regularly attend international meetings to collaborate on best practice and consider approaches to reducing reliance on animal testing, including attending European Commission workshops on the EC roadmap to phasing out animal testing for chemicals.

Semiconductors have been confirmed by the UK government as one of six priority frontier technologies in the recently published Industrial Strategy Digital and Technologies sector plan. During the development of the Industrial Strategy, the Department met regularly with HM Treasury and the Department for Business and Trade to discuss how to best support the frontier technologies, including semiconductors.

This led to several announcements including £19 million for a new UK Semiconductor Centre to coordinate the sector and act as a “front door” for international cooperation, £35 million towards a UK-wide skills programme to grow the talent pipeline, and £25 million for two new “Innovation and Knowledge Centres” that will enable researchers to work with industry to commercialise research in emerging semiconductor technologies.

Photonics is a major UK industry, generating £18.5 billion annually and employing over 84,800 people. It underpins quantum technologies, semiconductors, and telecoms, with government support through programmes like the National Quantum Technologies Programme and wider UKRI initiatives. The Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics in Glasgow plays a leading role in research and commercialisation, particularly in tying together the quantum and photonics clusters. Government supports the UK's photonics capabilities through targeted interventions that support individual sector needs, fostering innovation and growth across emerging technology areas.

Photonics is a major UK industry, generating £18.5 billion annually and employing over 84,800 people. It underpins quantum technologies, semiconductors, and telecoms, with government support through programmes like the National Quantum Technologies Programme and wider UKRI initiatives. The Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics in Glasgow plays a leading role in research and commercialisation, particularly in tying together the quantum and photonics clusters. Government supports the UK's photonics capabilities through targeted interventions that support individual sector needs, fostering innovation and growth across emerging technology areas.

Photonics is a major UK industry, generating £18.5 billion annually and employing over 84,800 people. It underpins quantum technologies, semiconductors, and telecoms, with government support through programmes like the National Quantum Technologies Programme and wider UKRI initiatives. The Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics in Glasgow plays a leading role in research and commercialisation, particularly in tying together the quantum and photonics clusters. Government supports the UK's photonics capabilities through targeted interventions that support individual sector needs, fostering innovation and growth across emerging technology areas.

Photonics is a major UK industry, generating £18.5 billion annually and employing over 84,800 people. It underpins quantum technologies, semiconductors, and telecoms, with government support through programmes like the National Quantum Technologies Programme and wider UKRI initiatives. The Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics in Glasgow plays a leading role in research and commercialisation, particularly in tying together the quantum and photonics clusters. Government supports the UK's photonics capabilities through targeted interventions that support individual sector needs, fostering innovation and growth across emerging technology areas.

The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy recognises the opportunity to capitalise on our strength in photonics, chip design, and advanced technologies. To deliver this, DSIT is considering infrastructure needs as recommended by the Royal Academy of Engineering’s quantum infrastructure review.

The UK already has strengths in photonics including Scotland’s photonics cluster, supported by centres like the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre and the Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics. UK universities, such as Southampton and Cambridge, contribute to European photonics pilot lines with DSIT funding. The DSIT-funded Innovation and Knowledge Centre at Cornerstone focuses on commercial translation of silicon photonics research.

The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy recognises the opportunity to capitalise on our strength in photonics, chip design, and advanced technologies. To deliver this, DSIT is considering infrastructure needs as recommended by the Royal Academy of Engineering’s quantum infrastructure review.

The UK already has strengths in photonics including Scotland’s photonics cluster, supported by centres like the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre and the Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics. UK universities, such as Southampton and Cambridge, contribute to European photonics pilot lines with DSIT funding. The DSIT-funded Innovation and Knowledge Centre at Cornerstone focuses on commercial translation of silicon photonics research.

The Government is committed to non-animal alternatives and will publish a strategy to support their development, validation and adoption later this year. While it is not yet possible to replace all animal use, we support approaches that replace, reduce and refine animal use in research, including via artificial intelligence. The Prime Minister launched the AI Opportunities Action Plan in January to drive AI development and deployment. The Government co-funds seven Centres of Excellence for Regulatory Science and Innovation (CERSI), two focusing on AI which will support alternative method development. Internal allocations of DSIT’s spending review settlement will determine future investment.

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 alternative methods specifically is not possible. Future investment will be determined by internal allocations of DSIT’s spending review settlement announced on 11.06.25. UKRI also invests £10 million annually in the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) and is conducting a five-year review to guide future investment.

The Government will publish a strategy to support non-animal alternatives later this year.

The Labour Manifesto commits to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing” and the Government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year.

As the Minister for Science, Research and Innovation Lord Vallance leads on this issue. He recognises this touches on a number of Departmental responsibilities and actively collaborates with fellow Ministers in relevant Departments to work together to support the delivery of important scientific research, including the development and implementation of alternative methods to animal testing.

The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal.

The Government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year, which will set out clear objectives and measurable milestones. Any work to phase out animal testing, including the use of dogs in regulatory scientific procedures, must be science-led and in lock step with partners including regulators, so we will not be setting interim targets or arbitrary timelines for reducing their use.

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 will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year.

Minister Vallance hosted a roundtable on 05.09.24 with industry representatives, including discussing the application of AI and officials have kept in regular contact with industry since then. The Government is also co-funding seven Centres of Excellence for Regulatory Science and Innovation (CERSI), two of which focus on AI which will support developing alternative methods.

The Labour Manifesto commits to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”. While it is not yet possible to replace all animal use, we support the development and application of approaches that replace, reduce and refine animal use in research (the 3Rs), including via artificial intelligence. The Prime Minister launched the AI Opportunities Action Plan in January which outlined 50 actions needed to drive up the development and deployment of AI.

The Government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year.

The £4.75 million semiconductor skills package will increase the supply of skilled science and engineering workers. It includes school outreach in regional clusters, chip design courses for undergraduates, and a flagship semiconductor bursary scheme for 300 students starting Electronics and Electrical Engineering degrees, all of which will increase skill supply for the UK’s sector. This initiative will help key growth hubs like the South Wales Compound Semiconductor Cluster access the expertise needed to thrive and for the UK sector to achieve projected revenues of £16.7 billion by 2030.

It is not yet possible to replace all animal use due to the complexity of biological systems and regulatory requirements for their use. The Government has reviewed the FDA roadmap and is engaging with the MHRA on how to accelerate the science-led adoption of alternatives to the use of animals for drug development and testing. The Government will publish a strategy later this year that will support this ambition and accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods across the biosciences.

This Government is supporting the development of supply chains for compound semiconductors and other critical semiconductor materials as part of our work to deliver the upcoming Industrial Strategy, which includes Digital and Technologies as a priority growth-driving sector. We recently secured a £250 million investment from one of the world’s largest manufacturers of semiconductors - Vishay Technologies – into the UK’s largest semiconductor facility as part of plans to develop large-scale compound semiconductor manufacturing in the UK, supported by the government’s Automotive Transformation Fund. Investments such as this will help develop UK supply chains in this high growth area of technology.

This government recognises the strategic importance of semiconductors as a critical technology for the future of the UK and a significant enabler of the government’s growth and clean energy missions. The Department recognises a number of challenges to growth of the UK semiconductor sector, including industry fragmentation and a lack of long-term innovation strategy. We are currently reviewing a range of options to address this, including a national semiconductor body that can bring together the industry and unlock growth in the sector. We will announce further details in due course.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is actively driving innovation in South Wales' semiconductor industry through strategic investments, collaborative research funding, and robust international partnerships. Recent initiatives include Vishay Intertechnology’s £250 million investment in Newport, supported by the government's Automotive Transformation Fund, creating over 500 high-skilled jobs focused on advanced semiconductors critical to electric vehicle production. Additionally, UK businesses, including those in South Wales, can now participate in the EU Chips Joint Undertaking, gaining access to €1.3 billion of collaborative R&D funding. Other UK wide schemes, such as the government backed ChipStart scheme also offer extensive opportunities for start-ups, further boosting innovation in the semiconductor sector. This government remains firmly committed to working closely with the Welsh Government and industry partners, ensuring investments deliver sustained growth and strengthen economic resilience across South Wales and beyond.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.

Sport England provides long term investment to the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel tennis in Britain. It receives up to £10.2 million for five years to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives that will benefit everyone.

The Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities programme is focused on investment into sports pitches and ancillary facilities, like changing rooms and clubhouses.

All future funding of sports facilities beyond 2025/26 will be considered as part of the forthcoming Spending Review.

Sport policy is devolved but we continue to engage closely with partners in Wales across various areas including facilities investment.