Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Animals in Science Regulation Unit; and what assessment she has made of the compatibility of her Department’s change programme with the UK's animal welfare responsibilities.

The Animals in Science Regulation Unit has undertaken a change programme to benchmark itself against leading regulatory practice. The aim of the programme has been to improve its effectiveness.

Under the Change Programme the Regulator has strengthened its regulatory oversight and published its process of full system audits at: www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-research-technical-advice#process-and-standards-for-establishment-full-system-audits.

At audits the Regulator requires evidence for assessment of compliance against all legal licence conditions, including those for animal welfare, which is available at: www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-research-technical-advice#process-and-standards-for-establishment-full-system-audits.