Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what number of beagles and non-human primates were authorised for use in live experiments between October and December 2025; and what assessment they have made of these approval procedures.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

Statistics about the use of animals in live experiments, including beagles and non-human primates, in 2025 will be published later this year.

The Home Office publishes annual statistics on the use of animals in science which contain information on the number of procedures conducted, including breakdowns by species of animals and beagles specifically. This data is reported to the Home Office as an annual total and so monthly or quarterly breakdowns are not available. Animals may be used more than once in certain circumstances. The statistics report both the total number of procedures conducted and the number of animals used for the first time in a given year.

The Home Office also publishes non-technical summaries for every project licence granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The non-technical summaries include the species and number of animals expected to be used over the lifetime of the project licence.

The use of animals in scientific procedures is only authorised by the Home Office Regulator where the expected benefits to human and animal health, and the environment, are assessed as justifying the harms. The Regulator assures that the principles of replacement, reduction and refinement are fully implemented for all programmes of work involving animals. This means that non-animal methods must be used wherever practicably possible, the number of animals used must be minimised, and the most refined techniques must be employed to minimise harm.

Found: Letter dated 03/03/2026 from Baroness Twycross to Lord West of Spithead regarding a question regarding