Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, how much funding was provided to the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) each year between 2020-2025; and what proportion of that funding was spent on activities intended to replace the use of animals in scientific procedures (as opposed to activities focused on refinement or reduction).

The NC3Rs receives funding from a number of sources. Its core funding is provided by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) which are part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Core funding for financial years:

2020/21: £9.35M

2021/22: £9.45M

2022/23: £10.20M

2023/24: £10.00M

2024/25: £10.10M

2025/26: £7.93M

Replacement of the use of animals is included in all NC3Rs programmes with the exception of its animal welfare projects. Between 2020/21 and 2024/25, more than 80% of grants awarded by the NC3Rs have been to replace the use of animals.