Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 86299 on Animal Experiments, when she plans to publish the Government’s response to the 2014 consultation on Section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986; what assessment she has made of the reasons for the delay in publishing that response; and whether she will set out a timetable for bringing forward proposals to clarify that provision.

The Home Office is reviewing Section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, including the responses received to the 2014 consultation. The Government remains committed to clarifying the operation of Section 24, taking account of the consultation responses and subsequent legal and policy developments.

This is a complex area which requires careful consideration to ensure the right balance between transparency and the protection of sensitive information, including personal safety and intellectual property. The Government will set out its position in due course.