Written questions by Jones.

What steps is she taking to (a) reduce the numbers of decapod crustaceans used in scientific procedures and (b) strengthen expertise of these creatures within the Animals in Science Regulation Unit.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking, in the context of the UK–EU SPS negotiations, to pursue animal welfare measures, including a ban on foie gras imports, in the context of representations made by foie gras industry interests to EU institutions.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Government of India on the protection of Christian communities and other religious minorities; and what steps her Department is taking to promote freedom of religion or belief in India.

Awaiting answer.

What progress her Department has made on implementing the new station at Newport West announced in Spending Review 2025.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to introduce legislation to create a closed hunting season for hares.

This Government committed to consider how to bring forward and introduce a close season for hares in England in its Animal Welfare Strategy, published in December 2025. In short, a close season should reduce the number of adult hares being shot in the breeding season, which runs from February to October, meaning that fewer leverets (infant hares) are left motherless and vulnerable to starvation and predation. A close season is also consistent with Natural England's advice on wildlife management that controlling species in their peak breeding season should be avoided unless genuinely essential and unavoidable. A suitable primary legislative vehicle is required to deliver this change, and this Government is actively looking for suitable opportunities to take this measure forward.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of a lack of access to (a) education, (b) employment and (c) public services on (a) the BaBaháʼí community and (b) other religious minorities in Iran.

Awaiting answer.

What steps the Government is taking, in the context of the UK–EU SPS negotiations, to pursue animal welfare measures, including a ban on foie gras imports, in the context of representations made by foie gras industry interests to EU institutions.

Awaiting answer.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the robustness of the harm-benefit analysis of service licences, under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, using a) non-human primates b) pregnant rabbits c) rats d) dogs e) mini-pigs.

All project licence applications, including service licences, are subject to a rigorous harm-benefit analysis (HBA), required under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). The HBA is carried out by a trained Home Office Inspector who is a member of the veterinary or medical profession, to ensure that any harm to animals is justified by the likely benefits for humans, animals or the environment.Under ASPA, projects proposing the use of specially protected species, including non‑human primates and dogs, may only be authorised where no animal of lower sentience can be used to achieve the scientific objectives. In all cases, the principles of replacement, reduction and refinement (the 3Rs) must be fully applied. This means that animal use is permitted only where no validated alternative exists, the minimum number of animals is used, and the most refined methods are used to minimise harm.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of a) companion animal ownership trends and b) recent legislative changes on local authority costs, including i) kennelling and ii) enforcement services.

The Department engages regularly with local authority representative groups to understand pressures on their animal welfare functions, including kennelling and enforcement.

What comparative assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) informal caregiving responsibilities and (b) companion animal care on labour market participation.

I refer my Hon. friend to the answer I gave on 13th April to PQ 122869.

Whether his Department plans to undertake research into the potential impact of companion animal ownership on a) labour market participation, b) productivity and c) flexible working.

I refer my Hon. friend to the answer I gave on 13th April to PQ 122869.

What recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of a) pain, b) suffering, c) distress and d) lasting harm caused to non-human primates recognised by service licences under Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

All project licence applications, including service licences which use specially protected species such as dogs and non-human primates, are subject to a rigorous harm-benefit analysis (HBA), required under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). The HBA ensures that a project is only granted where a Home Office Inspector is satisfied that the likely harms to animals, including pain, suffering, distress and any lasting harm, are justified by the expected benefits for humans, animals or the environment.Under ASPA, projects proposing the use of specially protected species may only be authorised where no animal of lower sentience can be used to achieve the scientific objectives. In all cases, the principles of replacement, reduction and refinement (the 3Rs) must be fully applied. This means that animal use is permitted only where no validated alternative exists, the minimum number of animals is used, and the most refined methods are used to minimise harm.The Home Office publishes annual statistics of scientific procedures on living animals in Great Britain, which break down procedures by species, type of procedure, and actual severity experienced by animals. They are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-of-scientific-procedures-on-living-animals. Information on the severity of procedures involving NHPs and dogs is set out in Table 3.1, with severity categorised under ASPA as non-recovery, mild, moderate or severe.Additionally, the Home Office expects to respond to recommendations from the Animals in Science Committee on the use of NHPs in service licences, which is aimed at further strengthening protections for NHPs used in science for service licences.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the level of a) pain, b) suffering, c) distress and d) lasting harm caused to dogs covered by service licences under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

All project licence applications, including service licences which use specially protected species such as dogs and non-human primates, are subject to a rigorous harm-benefit analysis (HBA), required under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). The HBA ensures that a project is only granted where a Home Office Inspector is satisfied that the likely harms to animals, including pain, suffering, distress and any lasting harm, are justified by the expected benefits for humans, animals or the environment.Under ASPA, projects proposing the use of specially protected species may only be authorised where no animal of lower sentience can be used to achieve the scientific objectives. In all cases, the principles of replacement, reduction and refinement (the 3Rs) must be fully applied. This means that animal use is permitted only where no validated alternative exists, the minimum number of animals is used, and the most refined methods are used to minimise harm.The Home Office publishes annual statistics of scientific procedures on living animals in Great Britain, which break down procedures by species, type of procedure, and actual severity experienced by animals. They are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-of-scientific-procedures-on-living-animals. Information on the severity of procedures involving NHPs and dogs is set out in Table 3.1, with severity categorised under ASPA as non-recovery, mild, moderate or severe.Additionally, the Home Office expects to respond to recommendations from the Animals in Science Committee on the use of NHPs in service licences, which is aimed at further strengthening protections for NHPs used in science for service licences.

Whether his Department has undertaken any joint work with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to assess the a) societal and b) economic impact of companion animal ownership.

I refer my Hon. friend to the answer I gave on 13th April to PQ 122869.

Whether his Department plans to include variables relating to companion animal ownership in a) future labour market and b) household surveys.

I refer my Hon. friend to the answer I gave on 13th April to PQ 122869.

Media and Sport, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of levels of provision of (a) covered and (b) indoor sports tennis courts in Britain.

The Government will invest £15 million into new delivery models across England in 2026/27, to allow more people to participate in sports they wish to. At least £2.5 million will be invested through the LTA for covered courts in England for tennis, padel and other activities, with additional funding will also enable a wider range of sporting bodies to trial innovative funding pathways. We are working closely with the sport sector, including the Lawn Tennis Association, to learn from these pathways to develop plans for future grassroots sport funding. We are also investing £85 million across the UK via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2026/27, funding projects such as multi-sport hubs which provide communities with access to the facilities they need. We recognise the need for funding to target a range of sports across the country based on what types of facilities each community needs, ensuring that our investment in community grassroots sports facilities reaches as many people as possible. We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding into grassroots sport across England, including providing £10.2 million in funding for the Lawn Tennis Association between 2022-27.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effect of access to (a) accessible, (b) covered and (c) indoor sports facilities to levels of participation by disabled people in sport.

The Government recognises that high-quality, inclusive facilities help people get active. Accessible, covered and indoor sports facilities are essential to increasing participation by disabled people. In June last year, we committed £400 million to transform sports and leisure facilities over the next four years. We will ensure that this funding promotes health, wellbeing and community cohesion and helps remove the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups. We are working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, before setting out further plans on how future funding will be allocated.

What recent assessment she has made of the benefits of tennis-focused teaching as part of PE and sport provision; and what steps is she taking to support tennis education in schools.

Schools play a vital role in giving many pupils their first experience of playing sport, including tennis, in a structured and inclusive environment. This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity so that every child can access high-quality physical education and school sport. ​That is why, in June 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced a new approach to PE and school sport, focused on building strong partnerships between schools, local clubs and national governing bodies of sport, such as the Lawn Tennis Association, to support greater participation and physical activity. ​National governing bodies provide valuable resources, workforce development and teacher support to help schools deliver high-quality sporting opportunities, both within the PE curriculum and through enrichment activity. The department is preparing to procure a national partner to lead the new PE and School Sport Partnerships, which will provide an opportunity to regularly assess the adequacy of support available to schools across PE and school sport, including the provision for tennis.

What steps she is taking to improve training for primary school teachers on how to deliver high quality PE and school sport.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity so every child can access high‑quality PE and school sport.As announced by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, the government will establish a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network to ensure all children and young people have access to high-quality PE and extracurricular sport. We expect the partnerships to improve school-to-school collaboration, increase opportunities for high-quality PE, encourage children to move more, make best use of facilities and provide teacher CPD and training.In addition, we have provided a grant of up to £300,000 a year to a consortium led by the Youth Sport Trust to deliver Inclusion 2028, providing advice, guidance and training to upskill teachers and school workforce to deliver high-quality, inclusive PE.Further details on the PE and School Sports Partnerships will be confirmed in due course.

Media and Sport, what consideration has she given to providing multi-year funding to support investment in covered tennis courts, and what assessment has she made of the potential impacts of such funding on increasing the availability of such facilities.

The Government will invest £15 million into new delivery models across England in 2026/27, to allow more people to participate in sports they wish to. At least £2.5 million will be invested through the LTA for covered courts in England for tennis, padel and other activities, with additional funding will also enable a wider range of sporting bodies to trial innovative funding pathways. We are working closely with the sport sector, including the Lawn Tennis Association, to learn from these pathways to develop plans for future grassroots sport funding. We are also investing £85 million across the UK via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2026/27, funding projects such as multi-sport hubs which provide communities with access to the facilities they need. We recognise the need for funding to target a range of sports across the country based on what types of facilities each community needs, ensuring that our investment in community grassroots sports facilities reaches as many people as possible. We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding into grassroots sport across England, including providing £10.2 million in funding for the Lawn Tennis Association between 2022-27.