Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the National Centre for the 3Rs was offered additional funding for the next financial year; and whether that body accepted that funding.

The National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) primarily receives Government funding through the Department for Business Innovation and Skills via the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

The NC3Rs is currently undergoing its quinquennial review to which the Home Office provided evidence recognising the exceptional achievements of the Centre. As part of the outcome of the review, decisions regarding core funding for the NC3Rs will be made by the MRC and BBSRC, the core funders. The current core funding level for 2015/16 from the MRC and BBSRC is £7.62 million.

The main meeting of the Review Panel took place on 19 March 2015 and the Review Panel’s recommendations will be considered by the MRC and BBSRC. The outcome of the review will be known by the summer.

The Home Office allocated funding of £250,000 to the NC3Rs for 2014/15. Funding for 2015/16 from the Home Office is yet to be allocated.

The Government has a continuing commitment to safeguard animal welfare and advance the use of the 3Rs principles (replacement, refinement and reduction) in research and development. The UK remains at the forefront of global work to develop alternatives to animal testing.