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 and the target to strengthen the commitment of journal editors to publishing research using alternative methods, which journal editors and publishers will be involved and what conversations she has already had with journal editors and publishers.

The Government’s strategy to replace animals in science includes a commitment to strengthen journal editors’ support for publishing research using alternative methods. In developing the strategy, officials met with journal editors and senior editorial and policy staff from the Journal of Pharmacology; Cardiovascular Research, Frontiers in Physiology and Artery Research; PLOS, Springer Nature, Taylor and Francis, and Wiley. Future discussions on delivering this commitment will not be restricted to these journals or publishers, and we will seek to engage more widely with this sector to drive this commitment forward.