Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the policy paper entitled Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025, what progress has she made in a) expanding existing and b) establishing new partnerships with international regulators to explore AI projects to assess toxicity, safety and efficacy from existing data sets.

The delivery of the commitment to develop out relationships with international regulators sits with the Office for Life Sciences.

The Government is ensuring the UK is a global leader in alternative methods by strengthening regulatory confidence through MHRA reform and investing in validation infrastructure and skills, supporting UK leadership by setting international benchmarks for how alternative methods are developed, assessed and adopted. We are also currently scoping opportunities for international engagement on a multilateral and bilateral level.

The Government will publish a delivery update, alongside key performance indicators, on progress across all elements of the strategy, in 2026.