Written questions by Jones.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking with international partners to defend vulnerable religious groups in north-east Syria.

Alongside our international partners the UK has consistently advocated and offered support to the Syrian Government to deliver an inclusive political transition. We have underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians, including vulnerable religious groups in the north-east, both publicly and as part of our engagement with the Syrian Government, including during the Foreign Secretary's recent visit. We remain deeply concerned about tensions between communities in Syria and the impact this may have for Syria's stability. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with (a) devolved administrations, (b) conservation organisations and (c) local communities to facilitate effective species reintroduction programmes.

Defra enables and facilitates effective species reintroduction programmes through its arms-length bodies. Regarding (a), Natural England, Natural Resources Wales and NatureScot meet quarterly to discuss species reintroductions. The England Species Reintroduction Taskforce and the National Species Reintroduction Forum (for Scotland) collaborate informally, with representatives attending each other's meetings to improve knowledge exchange. The Taskforce is beginning a formal collaboration with NatureScot on two key projects: developing a database for UK species reintroduction projects and developing a framework and guidance for conservation introduction. Regarding (b), Natural England has a key role in advising partners including conservation organisations on species reintroductions, including as formal partners and funding some projects through the Species Recovery Programme. Natural England advice ranges from ensuring the Reintroductions Code is being followed to bringing stakeholders together to discuss individual projects. Forestry England works in partnership with conservation organisations to deliver nature recovery projects – including species reintroductions - in the nation’s forests. Regarding (c), a requirement of the Code is to undertake effective engagement and consultation with stakeholders. This includes encouraging projects to engage with local communities to help create mutual understanding, offer a sense of shared purpose and benefits, and reduce the risk of future conflicts.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what initiatives his Department is funding to (a) monitor and (b) support the (i) registration and (ii) legal recognition of religious communities in Vietnam.

The UK Government is committed to promoting freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) globally, including in Vietnam. During Vietnam's 2024 Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council, the UK put forward recommendations urging Vietnam to take steps to ensure the protection of the right to freedom of religion. Bilaterally, the UK raises FoRB concerns with Vietnamese counterparts. Our Embassy in Hanoi engages with the diplomatic community and civil society to monitor developments and support dialogue on religious freedom.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what humanitarian assistance his Department has provided to support religious minority communities affected by conflict in Syria.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) does not provide targeted humanitarian assistance for religious minority communities in Syria. The FCDO uses data and evidence to guide humanitarian allocations, ensuring that resources are directed to where they are most needed, in line with humanitarian principles. Our humanitarian funding in Syria provides urgent humanitarian aid to millions of Syrians across the country, as well as support for Syria's longer-term recovery through education and livelihoods initiatives. We continue to focus our diplomatic efforts on advocating and supporting the Syrian Government to ensure an inclusive, representative and non-sectarian political transition which respects the rights of all Syrians.

Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to lay the Activity Regulations required to give effect to the Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023; and which activities he plans to prioritise.

We continue to engage with stakeholders including the tourism industry and animal welfare groups to explore both legislative and non-legislative options to take forward changes to low-welfare activities abroad.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding for artificial Intelligence to replace the use of animals in medical 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.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, what proportion of the £22.6 billion increase to research and development funding by 2029-30 will be allocated to support the (a) development, (b) validation and (c) uptake of alternative methods to animal testing.

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.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies on freedom of religion or belief of (a) reports of the escalation of violence against Hindu communities in Bangladesh since August 2024 and (b) the response of the interim government.

The UK has a long-standing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights. We support the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and their report on the violations that occurred in Bangladesh in July and August 2024. In October 2024, we were pleased to see the establishment of a special policing unit by the Interim Government in the lead up to Durga Puja to protect Hindu worship sites.In November 2024, I visited Bangladesh and discussed the importance of the protection of religious minorities with Chief Adviser Yunus and UK Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders visited Bangladesh in February. The UK-funded £27 million Bangladesh Collaborative, Accountable and Peaceful Politics programme is contributing to protecting and promoting freedom of religion or belief. Through this programme, the Hunger project has organised a range of initiatives to foster inter-ethnic and religious peace. We will continue to engage with the Interim Government on ensuring minority voices are meaningfully included in the reform process and that these communities feel both protected and represented.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports of redevelopment plans impacting Sikh families in the Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar area of Mumbai.

The UK Government is aware of reports concerning the redevelopment of Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar in Mumbai, and its potential impact on Sikh families. While this is a matter for the Indian authorities, we continue to monitor developments affecting minority communities globally. We encourage all redevelopment efforts, wherever they occur, to be conducted transparently and with full consideration for the rights and welfare of affected residents.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of recent reports that India forcibly deported over 80 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar; and what steps his Department is taking to raise concerns about the (a) religious freedom and (b) safety of Rohingya Muslims facing refoulement with his Indian counterpart.

The UK is firmly committed to the protection and promotion of human rights around the world. We are aware of reports concerning the deportation of Rohingya refugees from India to Myanmar, and we take such reports seriously.We regularly engage with the Government of India on a range of human rights issues, including the treatment of minority communities and international humanitarian principles. We continue to encourage all countries to ensure that the rights and safety of vulnerable populations, including the Rohingya, are respected and protected. The UK is a strong supporter of international efforts to assist Rohingya refugees. The long-term solution for Rohingya refugees remains a voluntary, safe and dignified return to Rakhine state in Myanmar, once the conditions there allow.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made a recent assessment of access to adequate burial rights for members of the Bahá'í community in Egypt; and whether he has raised this issue with his Egyptian counterpart.

The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), for all. The Egyptian Government has stated its commitment to protecting the rights and freedom of worship as well as the protections enshrined in the Egyptian constitution. We continue to regularly raise rights concerns with the Egyptian authorities.

With reference to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 59099 on Animal Experiments, when she expects the review to conclude.

We intend for a position to be publicised later in 2025.

What recent discussions her Department has had with licence holders on reporting the number of animals bred for scientific purposes and not used in procedures at their establishment.

The Home Office is presently reviewing the collection and publication of additional statistics on animals that were bred but not used in scientific procedures. This position has been communicated to all stakeholder groups, including the life science sector.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies on freedom of religion or belief of reports of official interference in peaceful gatherings of the Baha’i community in Iran.

Iran's abhorrent repression of Baha'is is unacceptable. We continue to take action in multilateral fora to spotlight abuses against Baha'is and hold Iran to account. On 18 March, at the Human Rights Council, the UK's Permanent Representative to the UN, said: "The past year has seen an escalation in the arrest and detention of Baha'i women as authorities seek to suppress their religious identity and autonomy as women". We were integral to the delivery of a new Iran human rights resolution, adopted by the Human Rights Council on 3 April, which renewed and expanded the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, which will investigate a broader range of abuses including against religious minorities, in an important step towards accountability. Our Ambassador to Iran continues to raise human rights directly with the Iranian Government.

Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to include the (a) Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and (b) Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy in its planned review of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966.

Defra is actively engaging with key stakeholders to review opportunities for reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act. It’s really important that we do this together to have the best opportunity of delivering the best reform for the future of the whole of the veterinary profession. Defra is grateful for the engagement of lots of different representatives of Allied Veterinary Professionals in this process, and plan to continue engaging a diverse group of stakeholders.

What recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Wales on the implementation of plans for cross-border healthcare.

My Rt. Hon. friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, regularly meets his devolved administration counterparts, both bilaterally and at Inter-Ministerial Groups on Health and Social Care. There is also significant official level engagement daily with the devolved administrations.There are special cross-border arrangements in place for patients who live on the England-Wales border to make sure they receive healthcare without confusion or delay, and patient data can be accessed by the relevant professionals. These arrangements have been implemented and are managed by the Department, NHS England, the Welsh Government and NHS Wales.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Wales on the potential impact of the Green Paper entitled Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working, published on 29 May 2025, on people with arthritis.

This Government is committed to championing the rights of disabled people and people with long-term health conditions and our mission-driven approach relies on regular cross-government collaboration. We are working across government and with the Devolved Governments to further assess the impacts of the Green Paper and will continue to do so as the package is developed in detail. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions met with the Welsh First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice on the 4 June to discuss the proposals and their impacts in Wales. I also continue to engage closely with my Ministerial colleagues and other stakeholders throughout the consultation period and beyond. Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published in the impacts analysis and equality analysis on 26 March 2025 and the evidence pack on 2 May 2025 at:[https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/pathways-to-work-reforming-benefits-and-support-to-get-britain-working-green-paper] The functional impact and severity of a condition can significantly vary across individuals, so we are not planning for specific conditions to be exempt from the changes. We recognise the challenges that people with arthritis face and our reforms will ensure the most vulnerable and severely disabled people are protected, while supporting those who can work to do so.

What recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on plans for cross-border healthcare.

I meet with the First Minister of Wales regularly to discuss a range of issues, including health. We are working in a spirit of genuine collaboration to do everything possible to cut waiting lists and build an NHS fit for the future. A good example of our two Governments working together on health is the Interministerial Group (IMG) for Health and Social Care, which met on 30 April, chaired by the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care. The IMG brought together Ministers from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Devolved Governments to discuss shared priorities across health in the UK. I welcome the news that waiting lists, including long waits, have fallen in recent months. These improvements come after we provided the Welsh Government with an additional £1.7 billion to invest in public services like the NHS at the Autumn Budget. An extra £600 million in funding has now been announced by the Welsh Government for health and social care in their Budget for 2025/26. Furthermore at the Spending Review last week, we announced a record £22.4 billion per year on average for the Welsh Government between 2026-27 and 2028-29, to invest in public services and drive down waiting lists. This is the largest budget settlement in the history of devolution.

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the frequency of the publication of statistics on the number of animals that are bred for use in scientific procedures but not used.

The Home Office is presently reviewing the collection and publication of additional statistics on animals that were bred but not used in scientific procedures.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of smart grids enabled by dedicated radio spectrum access on people in Newport West and Islwyn constituency.

Ofcom is responsible for the management of spectrum in the UK, including allocating spectrum. My officials are working with those in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and with regulators to help establish the evidence base for the future telecommunications requirements of the energy sector.