Stephen has written a letter to the Secretary of State, Therese Coffey, asking the government to end experiments on animals.
In recent weeks, Stephen has been contacted by a number of his constituents who are keen that testing animals be banned in the UK. They suggested Ministers to adopt modern testing methods like PETA's Research Modernisation Deal.
Stephens constituents also raised concerns about the fur, which is used on the caps worn by the King's Guard. The fur used is from Canadian black bears. The skin of one bear usually is enough to produce a single cap. Stephen asked the Minister whether she would consider the use faux fur instead.
Having sent the letter, Stephen said: "I am grateful that my constituents have been in touch. I've long believed the UK should lead the world with high animal welfare standards. Improvements in animal testing practices in recent years are welcome, but more needs to be done. I hope the minister will look closely at the concerns raised by my constituents and consider the banning of animal testing. I will be interested to read what she has to say about the use of faux fur for the King's Guard caps.”