Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for project licences to conduct experiments on animals under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were refused permission between 1 January 2023 and 30 September 2024.

From 1 January 2023 to 30 September 2024, no applications for a project licence under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 have been refused.

The Government publishes extensive guidance for the regulated sector on applying for project licences. Applications are internally reviewed by an establishment’s Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body before being submitted to the regulator for assessment.

Applications received by the regulator are frequently returned to the applicant for reconsideration. Applicants may amend or withdraw an application in response to feedback from the regulator.

Generally, the number of applications refused is not an indicator for the robustness of the regulatory regime.