Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her Department's policy to ban the commercial breeding of animals for use in animal testing; whether she is taking steps to reduce the use of animals in animal testing; and what policies her Department has in place to help ensure the protection and welfare of animals that are commercially bred to be used in animal testing.

This Government is committed to the protection and welfare of animals and ensuring that animals are only ever used in science where there are no alternatives.

The Government’s position on commercially breeding animals for use in scientific procedures to deliver benefits, protecting animals and promoting alternatives, were set out in the recent Westminster Hall Debate on Commercial Breeding for Laboratories, on 16 January 2023.

The Hansard record can be found here: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2023-01-16/debates/CE7E0DD2-CD4E-4C47-A58D-983D6E2BC128/CommercialBreedingForLaboratories.