Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has she made of the impact of the Animals in Science Regulation Unit on the number of in-person inspections at establishments which conduct animal testing.

The Regulator’s audit programme for compliance assurance purposes will be delivered in accordance with the requirements defined in the legislation. This includes unannounced visits to licensed establishments.

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.

The UK legal framework requires each Establishment that uses animals in science to have strong governance systems that are published in the Standard Conditions of licences found on the Regulator’s website at:

www.gov.uk/guidance/research-and-testing-using-animals.