Written questions by Campbell.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the commercial viability of 'day-zero' systems where genetically edited breeding hens ensure only female layer chicks hatch, eliminating the need for male chick culling in the egg industry.

Awaiting answer.

Innovation and Technology, what comparative assessment her Department has made of the level of public funding allocated to (a) animal-based research and (b) non-animal New Approach Methodologies in the last five years.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help reduce the prevalence of tail docking on pigs.

The Department has recently engaged with the Pig Veterinary Society and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to reduce the prevalence of pig tail docking by working with the industry and the veterinary profession. Defra is now carefully considering the appropriate next steps, including the possibility of developing further guidance.

Innovation and Technology, whether she has considered whether the relationship between the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) and Understanding Animal Research (UAR), including NC3Rs’ sponsorship of UAR activities, ensures adequate levels of (a) balance and (b) engagement with relevant stakeholders, in the context of animal protection organisations not being included in NC3R organised events.

The NC3Rs does not sponsor UAR activities beyond being a signatory and participant in the UK Concordat on Openness on Animal Research which is managed by UAR. The NC3Rs works with a range of relevant stakeholders across the life sciences sector, including animal welfare organisations such as the RSPCA, to ensure balance and engagement in its programmes of work to advance the 3Rs.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of ensuring that the Treasury Green Book takes account of the statutory duty introduced by the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 in the appraisal of policies across government.

HM Treasury published an updated version of the Green Book on 5th February, which acknowledges the statutory role of the ASC and includes language in paragraph 8.84 noting that appraisals should consider the effects of a proposal on the welfare of animals.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure cross-government coordination and policy alignment with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of non-animal methods, particularly in relation to regulatory frameworks and departmental responsibilities that rely on animal testing.

Defra is working together with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) in relation to those priorities, targets and commitments in DSIT’s Strategy to Support the Development, Validation and Uptake of Alternative Methods whose implementation Defra is placed to support.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the proposed consultation on banning trail hunting will allow submissions on family pets being killed by hunting hounds; and what plans she has to bring forward legislative proposals on this matter.

The Government will hold a consultation on its plans to ban trail hunting. Defra will be guided by the Government's consultation principles in shaping the proposed consultation. The department plans to introduce legislation to ban the activity of trail hunting when Parliamentary time allows. Under Section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, it is an offence to allow a dog to be dangerously out of control. The owner of any dog that is dangerously out of control may be put in prison for up to 14 years, banned from ever owning a dog and receive an unlimited fine.

With reference to the Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report 2024, published in December 2025, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the incident in which mice were left without water for up to five days; whether she has considered the adequacy of a letter of reprimand being issued as a sanction in response; and what steps her Department is taking to prevent animals from being left without food or water.

All licensed establishments must fully uphold the required standards for animal welfare as set out in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) and the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes. The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) conducts audits to assure establishments’ compliance and takes matters of non-compliance very seriously. All cases of non-compliance are thoroughly investigated. Where there is sufficient evidence for a breach, ASRU will issue a suitable and proportionate remedy to prevent recurrence of similar breaches. Moreover, ASRU’s Annual Report 2024 draws key learnings from cases of non-compliance and makes recommendations to reduce the risk of future non-compliance.Regarding the incidents referenced, ASRU investigated the incidents and acted according to the published compliance framework (www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa) which explains how ASRU identifies and investigates potential incidents of non-compliance and decides on appropriate and proportionate measures and remedies.The Government remains fully committed to continuous improvement in the regulation of the use of animals in science, and to strengthening the UK’s position as a global leader in science and innovation. As part of this, the Home Office is in the final stages of delivering a comprehensive programme of regulatory reform to further strengthen ASRU, ensuring confidence in the regulatory system and maintaining robust compliance with ASPA.As part of the reform programme, the number of inspectors will increase from 14.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions at the end of 2017 to 22 FTE positions by March 2026.

With reference to her Department's corporate report, entitled Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report 2024, published in December 2025, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the sanction for the case where the mother was removed from cage and killed, resulting in unweaned pups starving to death; and what steps she is taking to prevent animals dying from starvation in facilities licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (3).

All licensed establishments must fully uphold the required standards for animal welfare as set out in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) and the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes. The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) conducts audits to assure establishments’ compliance and takes matters of non-compliance very seriously. All cases of non-compliance are thoroughly investigated. Where there is sufficient evidence for a breach, ASRU will issue a suitable and proportionate remedy to prevent recurrence of similar breaches. Moreover, ASRU’s Annual Report 2024 draws key learnings from cases of non-compliance and makes recommendations to reduce the risk of future non-compliance.Regarding the incidents referenced, ASRU investigated the incidents and acted according to the published compliance framework (www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa) which explains how ASRU identifies and investigates potential incidents of non-compliance and decides on appropriate and proportionate measures and remedies.The Government remains fully committed to continuous improvement in the regulation of the use of animals in science, and to strengthening the UK’s position as a global leader in science and innovation. As part of this, the Home Office is in the final stages of delivering a comprehensive programme of regulatory reform to further strengthen ASRU, ensuring confidence in the regulatory system and maintaining robust compliance with ASPA.As part of the reform programme, the number of inspectors will increase from 14.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions at the end of 2017 to 22 FTE positions by March 2026.

What steps he is taking to build energetics and munitions factories.

We have committed £1.5 billion to move munitions production to “always on” and build six new munitions and energetics factories. Work is underway to plan the new factories.

With reference to the Financial Inclusion Strategy, published on 5 November, whether the Government plans to develop targets as well as metrics to monitor progress in delivering the Strategy’s objectives on improving access to affordable credit.

Earlier this month, I published the Government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy setting out an ambitious programme of measures to improve financial inclusion and resilience for underserved groups across the UK. The Strategy was developed alongside a committee of industry and consumer representatives and seeks to tackle a range of barriers individuals face in accessing financial products, including a key focus on improving access to credit. As part of developing the strategy, the Government has engaged with Financial Inclusion Committee members and other organisations on how to measure its impact. The Strategy’s implementation will be reviewed in two years’ time to provide an update on interventions and relevant outcomes-based metrics, which will reflect on the progress made across the sector.The Government will continue to work closely with the sector as we implement the strategy, including continuing to engage with firms on interventions to strengthen the provision of affordable credit.

What steps she will take to ensure banks provide access to affordable credit to people who are financially excluded.

The Government recognises that, when provided responsibly, credit can play an important role in helping people manage unexpected expenses and smooth their cash flow. Access to suitable, affordable credit products can support people’s financial resilience and help them achieve their financial goals. For this reason, the Government is committed to improving access to affordable credit. HM Treasury regularly engages with lenders on a range of policy matters, including how the provision of affordable credit can be strengthened. The Government’s recently published Financial Inclusion Strategy sets out an ambitious package of measures to improve access to affordable credit. This includes support for the community finance sector and a pilot of a small-sum lending scheme, run by Fair4All Finance, which will test the offer of small value loans from a mainstream lender.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that trail hunting is not used for the illegal hunting of wild mammals with dogs.

This Government is committed to enacting a ban on trail hunting in line with our manifesto commitment. Work to determine the best approach for doing so is ongoing and Defra will consult on how to deliver a ban in the new year.

What recent progress her Department has made in reviewing responses to the call for evidence on reforming the credit union common bond in Great Britain; and when her Department plans to publish its proposed next steps.

The government recognises the role that credit unions play in providing savings and affordable loans to their members, serving local communities throughout the country. This is why the government is taking steps to ensure credit unions are fully supported to grow and scale into the future.This includes exploring legislative reform to the credit union common bond, to ensure it remains fit for purpose. We launched a call for evidence at last year’s Mansion House on the potential reform, which closed in March this year.   Responses to the call for evidence are being carefully considered and the government will provide an update on this work in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with EU negotiators on the inclusion of UK animal welfare standards within the proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement.

We will agree a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement to make agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and red tape for British producers and retailers, and helping to reduce the pressure on prices and increase choice in the shops.The agreement will cover SPS standards and controls and also wider agrifood rules related to food labelling, organics, and key marketing standards and compositional standards.Details are subject to negotiation, but we have been clear about the importance of being able to set high animal welfare standards.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to introduce mandatory method-of-production labelling for animal products.

On 12 June 2025, we published the summary of responses and the Government response to the fairer food labelling consultation, which was undertaken last year by the previous Government. The response is available here on GOV.UK. We will consider the potential role of method of production labelling reform as part of the ongoing development of the Government’s animal welfare strategy.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to end the use of enriched cages for hens in England.

I refer the Hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for Liverpool West Derby, Ian Byrne, on 16 May 2025, PQ 50228.

Innovation and Technology, whether the forthcoming roadmap to phase out animal testing include plans to conduct systematic reviews to identify areas of research or disease models to phase out.

The Government is committed to supporting non-animal alternatives and will publish a strategy to support their development, validation and adoption later this year. Any systematic approach for identifying research priorities for new alternative methods will be outlined in the upcoming strategy. Implementation of these ambitions is to be determined in consultation with the life sciences community.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) dogs and (b) cats were imported under commercial rules under the Ballai Directive in each month of 2024; and from which country.

In 2024, a total of 32391 dogs and 6226 cats were imported commercially under the Balai directive. The attached two tables show all commercial imports of dogs and cats by country of origin and month of import. The EU data may include animals that have originated from a non-EU country but have travelled through an EU Border Control Post (BCP). The database records the EU BCP Country as the Country of Origin for these imports. The Rest of the World data does not include animals that have arrived through an EU BCP. This information is drawn from external systems not directly controlled by the department and is a true reflection of the information that APHA has access to.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) dogs and (b) cats were imported non commercially under the PETS Directive in each month of 2024.

In 2024, a total of 335451 dogs and 32804 cats were imported non-commercially through the PETS Directive. The table below shows the number of dogs and cats imported each month in 2024: 2024CatsDogsTotal number of animalsJanuary32073035833565February18601575717617March23572687929236April27003021532915May20292153623565June30152613629151July26923314535837August38285062354451September20941542617520October31542916932323November23741854620920December34943766141155Total32804335451368255 The data provided is a summary of animals entering Great Britain under the Pet Travel Scheme via an approved route. It does not include pet animals that enter other parts of the UK (such as Northern Ireland or the Channel Islands) or pet animals that enter Great Britain from other parts of the UK. It does not include any animals that enter Great Britain under the Pet Travel Scheme from the Republic of Ireland as these movements do not need to follow an approved route. Data on the Pet Travel Scheme covers pets entering Great Britain and is based on information provided by pet checkers employed by approved carriers of pet animals and cannot be separated into EU and Rest of the World. This data can be subject to change due to when the carriers provide the data.