Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the accredited official statistics entitled Annual statistics of scientific procedures on living animals, Great Britain 2023, published on 11 September 2024, for what purposes were procedures carried out on horses; and whether her Department is taking steps to reduce the use of horses in experiments for (a) the routine production of antibodies and (b) other areas.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Annual statistics of scientific procedures on living animals, Great Britain 2023 provides details on the purposes of procedures using horses in scientific research.
The published statistics show that no horses were used for the routine production of antibodies. The majority of horses are used for the taking of blood that is subsequently used in blood-based products as a supplement in cell culture media.