Written questions by Jones.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to the Government of Vietnam regarding the release of political prisoners requiring medical care; and what steps she is taking to promote freedom of religion or belief in Vietnam.

Vietnam is a focus country in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's Freedom of Religion and Belief Strategy, launched in July 2025, and we raise the issue on a regular basis with the Government of Vietnam. We also regularly raise concerns about the treatment of political prisoners, including access to appropriate medical care, through bilateral engagement and also jointly with the support of other diplomatic missions.

What assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of pet-related work absences, including those linked to veterinary care and emergencies.

The Government does not collect or hold information on the reasons for absence relating to the care of pets, including those linked to veterinary care and emergencies. Employers are responsible for managing wider categories of employee absence, including any time taken for caring responsibilities relating to pets, in line with their own workplace policies.

What assessment has she made of the potential merits of expanding the Police's right of disclosure to include incidents of animal abuse.

The Police National Computer holds all relevant information for prosecutions made for animal cruelty offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Certain organisations, including non-police public bodies such as the Disclosure and Barring Service and the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, have access to this information, where appropriate to fulfil their public function. This allows us to securely protect this important information from misuse, but also for it to be available for organisations with a justified need to access the information.The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme covers all criminal convictions, and police forces may release information under their police common law powers relating to animal cruelty offences if they think this behaviour would pose a risk to the individual seeking the disclosure. We have committed to exploring the potential to expand the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme through the government's Violence Against Women and Girls strategy (VAWG) to other forms of VAWG.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of creating a national animal abuse register to record the names of people who have been found guilty of crimes against animals.

The Government does not currently have plans to assess the benefits of a national animal abuse register. Defra continue to work closely with enforcement partners to strengthen existing protections for animals.

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

The Department for Work and Pensions has made no assessment of pet‑related factors on labour market participation, productivity or flexibility. The Government does not collect or hold information on the impact that pet ownership has on the labour market. With regard to comparative assessments between companion animal care functions and informal caregiving, the Department has made no such assessment. However, the Department has published analysis and research on informal care and employment. This can be found in the Informal Carers and Employment: Summary Report of a Systematic Review, available at: Informal carers and employment: summary report of a systematic review - GOV.UK

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of pet ownership on a) productivity, b) labour market participation and c) flexibility.

The Department for Work and Pensions has made no assessment of pet‑related factors on labour market participation, productivity or flexibility. The Government does not collect or hold information on the impact that pet ownership has on the labour market. With regard to comparative assessments between companion animal care functions and informal caregiving, the Department has made no such assessment. However, the Department has published analysis and research on informal care and employment. This can be found in the Informal Carers and Employment: Summary Report of a Systematic Review, available at: Informal carers and employment: summary report of a systematic review - GOV.UK

What assessment she has made of the potential risks to supply chains of inadequate roadside facilities for lorry drivers.

The Department for Transport has not carried out an assessment of the potential risks to supply chains of inadequate roadside facilities. The National Survey of Lorry Parking was last conducted in 2022 and provided the evidence base for the HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme which will provide up to £37.5 million investment from government and industry in 30 counties across England. This is on top of up to £30M investment in lorry parking by National Highways and industry in lorry parks along the strategic road network in England. A new National Survey of Lorry Parking is underway, which will provide a fresh baseline on the availability of secure lorry parking and HGV driver welfare provision throughout England. The Survey is scheduled to be published in the autumn. To strengthen the UK’s supply chain security, the Government is launching a new Supply Chain Centre based in the Department for Business and Trade. This marks a change in government’s approach to protecting the UK’s economy and security in turbulent geopolitical times. It will take a more assertive, strategic and data-led approach, and lead a targeted programme of work to ensure the UK can access the goods it needs to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

What assessment she has made of regional disparities in the availability of lorry diver facilities; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure consistent provision across England.

A national survey of lorry parking is underway to provide a fresh baseline on the availability of secure lorry parking and HGV driver welfare provision throughout England. This will include region by region analysis of overnight lorry parking, utilisation rates and distribution of sites. The national survey was last conducted in 2022 and provided the evidence base for the HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme which will provide up to £37.5 million investment from government and industry in 30 counties across England. This is on top of up to £30 million investment in lorry parking by National Highways and industry in lorry parks along the strategic road network in England. The government is prioritising improvements to the planning system. Strengthened policy on freight and logistics has been proposed in the recent consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to improve the consideration of freight, including lorry parking, in the planning system.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of international models of digital parenting support for screen time, such as in Australia.

On 27 March, the government published guidance on screen time for children aged 0 to 5 on the Best Start in Life website. The guidance is informed by an expert panel’s independent report on quantitative and qualitative research, including engagement with parents, carers and stakeholders, which also published on 27 March.We have also launched our ‘You Won’t Know Until You Ask’ campaign, providing parents with practical advice on how to talk to their children about harmful online content.The consultation on children’s digital wellbeing launched on 2 March looks at further measures to keep children safe online. It will run until 26 May, with the government reporting back in the summer. Later this year, we will publish guidance on screen time for parents of children aged 5 to 16, which will be informed by the consultation and a separate a call for evidence.We are monitoring the policies of other countries, including Australia, and are working with counterparts to share learnings and best practice on screen time. Ministers from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will also be visiting Australia to understand their approach.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2026 to Question 117875 on Animal Experiments: Licensing, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the funding mentioned in her answer for the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of additional funding models.

The Government has announced £75m of funding to accelerate alternatives and innovation, with new capabilities being developed across the UK. This funding will help bring forward advanced testing methods that can save lives and support a faster, science‑led route to regulation. £60 million of this is ring‑fenced, multi‑year funding secured through the 2025 Spending Review to provide long‑term stability for strategic programmes. The Department remains fully committed to delivering the actions set out in the Replacing Animals in Science strategy through the funding secured in the Review

What learnings she has taken from the PESP rollout in Australia when developing the commitment to the digital parenting offer contained in the BSIL strategy.

The Best Start in Life strategy sets out the government’s commitment to widening access to high-quality, evidence-based parenting and home learning environment support. This will help ensure that families receive the interventions most effective in supporting children’s early development and reducing disparities before they reach school age.The department remains focused on ensuring that parenting support in England is informed by strong evidence and aligned with the needs of families. We will continue to take a careful, evidence-led approach to future decisions. This includes tracking emerging practice in the UK and internationally, including learning from Australia’s programmes.

Food and Rural Affairs, when she intends to bring forward legislation to outlaw the use of snare traps.

This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation and this included a commitment to bring an end to the use of snare traps in England. This was recently reaffirmed in the Government’s Animal Welfare Strategy, published in December 2025. Defra is now actively looking to bring a ban on snares into force as swiftly as possible.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has her Department made in reviewing traps aside from snares used to catch wildlife.

In the Animal Welfare Strategy, published in December 2025, the Government committed to ban the use of snares in England and conduct a review of other traps used to catch wildlife in England for which welfare concerns have been raised. The Animal and Plant Health Agency has already been commissioned to conduct a review of the evidence relating to the spring traps listed on the Spring Trap Approval Order as it applies in England and work is underway.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions has she had with representatives from Welsh Government on the results of its automatic voter registration pilots.

The Welsh Government’s automatic voter registration pilots are discussed when Ministers from across the UK attend the regular meetings of the Interministerial Group (IMG) for Elections and Registration. The meetings are led by the ministers with election policy in their portfolios and meeting reports are then published by the government. Updates on the work relating to the Welsh pilots are a regular agenda item, with the most recent discussion taking place in February. UK Government and Welsh Government officials are also in regular contact on a range of electoral conduct and registration topics, including the Welsh Government’s pilots on automatic electoral registration.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with Welsh Government on (a) proposals to ban greyhound racing and (b) regulations to improve greyhound welfare.

Defra officials engage regularly with officials in the Welsh Government on a range of animal welfare issues.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of regulations on greyhound welfare in the racing industry.

The welfare of racing greyhounds in England is covered by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010 (the 2010 Regulations). The 2010 Regulations include a number of welfare requirements, such as requiring all greyhound tracks to have a veterinary surgeon in attendance to ensure that every greyhound is fit to run. In addition to these statutory protections, the sport’s main regulatory body – the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) enforces welfare standards (including those in the 2010 Regulations) at GBGB affiliated tracks, as well as at GBGB licensed trainers’ kennels. Independent, external oversight of GBGB’s regulatory work at tracks and trainers’ kennels is provided by the UK’s National Accreditation Body - the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). We will continue to monitor animal welfare conditions.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a ban on greyhound racing in England.

The Animal Welfare strategy published in December 2025 sets out Government priorities until 2030. The Government currently has no plans to ban greyhound racing. While the Government recognises the concerns some people have about greyhound racing, there is legislation in place to protect the welfare of racing greyhounds in England and a regulatory body – the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) – that has made many improvements to greyhound welfare. We will continue to monitor animal welfare conditions.

Innovation and Technology, what steps is she taking to end the use of the LD50 test for UK-only regulations.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 10 December 2025 to Question 96750.

How many animals were used in LD50 tests to evidence compliance with UK-only regulations in each of the last five years.

The Home Office publishes detailed annual statistics on the use of animals in science, including procedures for acute and subacute toxicity testing which covers tests such as LD50 (Lethal Dose 50) and LC50 (Lethal Concentration 50). These figures represent the total number of procedures carried out in this category each year.The Home Office does not collect information on whether individual procedures were conducted specifically to meet UK only regulatory requirements, so the data is not available in the form requested.Based on the published annual statistics, the total number of procedures in the acute and sub‑acute toxicity category (which includes LD50 and LC50 tests) in each of the last five years is as follows:2024: 11,9922023: 11,5192022: 12,6512021: 11,758Statistics for 2025 have not yet been published. Official statistics on the use of animals in science are released annually and are available here: www.gov.uk/government/collections/animals-in-science-statistics

What assessment has she made of the potential merits of opening a new station at Crumlin as part of proposals to re-open the Abertillery spur of the Ebbw Vale Line.

In February the Prime Minister and the First Minister endorsed Transport for Wales’ ‘Today, Tomorrow, Together’ vision for rail investment in Wales, confirming that it should form the basis of the Wales Rail Board’s future pipeline of projects. The vision document includes a proposed scheme to reinstate a spur from the Ebbw Valley Line to Abertillery. As part of its role in prioritising rail enhancements for Wales to inform future spending reviews, the Wales Rail Board will consider the timing and scope of this scheme, including any associated enhancement of the main Ebbw Valley branch line such as opening a station at Crumlin.