Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she had made of trends in the number of animals who died or were euthanised following non-compliance incidents as reported in the Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report 2024.

Any incident of non‑compliance with the ASPA, including those where animals died or were euthanised following non-compliance, is taken seriously and investigated in line with ASRU’s published compliance framework The framework explains how potential breaches are assessed and how proportionate, evidence based regulatory actions are determined (www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa).

All licensed establishments must uphold the standards for animal protections as set out in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) and the associated Code of Practice

ASRU assesses trends and underlying causes of non-compliance as part of its Annual Report. This analysis informs ASRU’s actions that are designed to strengthen compliance, address identified risks and support continuous improvement in animal protections.