Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2025 to Question 82424 on Animal Experiments, which experiments does the alternative methods strategy include timelines for phasing out.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
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 later this year and will outline targets and timelines for the phasing out of some specific applications of animal testing.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with Ofcom on ensuring that there is adequate telecommunications coverage across the South West region.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ofcom publishes figures on mobile and fixed broadband coverage across the UK twice a year in their Connected Nations report. The full report for 2025 is expected to be published by the end of this year.
Ofcom does not publish aggregate coverage figures at a regional level in their Connected Nations reports but does do so at a Local Authority and Westminster constituency level. There have already been mobile coverage uplifts across the South West from the Shared Rural Network programme, with further improvements to come in the region from the publicly funded element of the programme in Dartmoor and Exmoor.
Additionally, to improve gigabit broadband coverage, Openreach, Wildanet, Gigaclear and Wessex Internet are delivering a number of Project Gigabit contracts across the South West.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what quality assurance is in place to ensure that when a licence is issued for small-scale digital deployment, the coverage delivered aligns with the planned coverage; and how her Department works with operators to ensure an appropriate level of service is maintained.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Localised networks, such as private mobile networks, are delivered by a wide range of providers to support connectivity for particular users, for example, for business and organisations in sectors such as manufacturing and healthcare. This is different from the coverage provided by the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) through their national networks, for which we have set the national ambition. For these localised networks, coverage and service levels are typically agreed between the service provider and its customers, and this will vary significantly between different uses. As such, coverage and service levels are not routinely monitored.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her planned strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of non-animal methods will contain a timeline to phase out animal experimentation.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to reducing the use of animals in scientific research and is developing a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods.
At present, the strategy does not include a fixed timeline for the complete phase-out of animal experimentation but it does commit to timelines for some. It is not yet possible to replace all animal research due to the complexity of biological systems and regulatory requirements. Any work to phase out animal testing must be science-led, in lock step with partners, so we will not be setting arbitrary timelines for reducing their use.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of taking legislative steps to (a) set a goal for phasing out animal experiments in medical research over the next decade and (b) work closely with the scientific community to support it with that transition.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The legal framework in the UK already requires that animals are only ever used in science where there are no validated alternatives available. The government currently has no plans to legislate further on this matter.
The Government is working in close partnership with scientists, industry, and civil society to support the transition to alternative methods. This includes convening roundtables and supporting the development and of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs).
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to convene a roundtable with animal protection groups prior to the publication of the alternative methods to animal testing strategy.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government has engaged with animal welfare organisations in developing a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, which will be published by the end of the year. The Government hosted a roundtable on 14 May with representatives from animal welfare organisations to discuss the strategy, have met several individually and offered some the opportunity to read the draft strategy and submit comments.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of changing the Innovate UK technology awards to allow successful applicants to access the funds earlier in the process.
Answered by Feryal Clark
Making innovation support accessible and agile is a key goal for Innovate UK, and they will continue to experiment with new ways to improve their product offering for businesses. They deliver technology funding awards through grants, contracts, and loans. Eligible costs depend on the innovation objectives of the specific programme a business is applying for, but most technology grants allow for the recovery of equipment costs directly related to the project the grant is supporting.
They have reduced the time taken from competition close to grant award by 32% between FY 22/23 and FY 24/25. Innovate UK programmes such as New Innovators and Launchpads also allow for a significant portion of the payment upfront to support SME innovation projects.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of changing the Innovate UK technology awards to focus more on capital funding.
Answered by Feryal Clark
Making innovation support accessible and agile is a key goal for Innovate UK, and they will continue to experiment with new ways to improve their product offering for businesses. They deliver technology funding awards through grants, contracts, and loans. Eligible costs depend on the innovation objectives of the specific programme a business is applying for, but most technology grants allow for the recovery of equipment costs directly related to the project the grant is supporting.
They have reduced the time taken from competition close to grant award by 32% between FY 22/23 and FY 24/25. Innovate UK programmes such as New Innovators and Launchpads also allow for a significant portion of the payment upfront to support SME innovation projects.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to provide capital funding to manufacturing companies in the semiconductor sector.
Answered by Feryal Clark
This government recognises the strategic importance of semiconductors as a critical technology and a significant enabler of our growth and clean energy missions. 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, supported by the government’s Automotive Transformation Fund.
The forthcoming Industrial Strategy will provide further clarity on how government will boost investment in growth-driving sectors, including by mobilising capital to ensure businesses have sufficient access to finance, such as through the National Wealth Fund.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle digital exclusion.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Digital inclusion is a priority for this Government and we have already set up a Digital Inclusion and Skills Unit to ensure that everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to engage in our modern digital society, whatever their circumstances.
This country has been without a digital inclusion strategy for 10 years, and during that time other countries have leapt ahead of us. This Government is determined that that will no longer be the case. I hope to say more on this soon.