Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to increase the proportion of non-human primates used in scientific procedures that are bred in the UK.

The Government is committed to ensuring that non-human primates used in scientific procedures are sourced responsibly and used only where no suitable alternative is available. In 2025, 1,845 non-human primates were used for the first time in scientific procedures in Great Britain. All marmosets, tamarins and rhesus monkeys were born at licensed establishments in the UK, while the majority of cynomolgus monkeys were born overseas, but were not sourced from the wild.

Following advice from the Animals in Science Committee, the Home Office strengthened its sourcing requirements from 1 August 2025 so that non-human primates should come from established captive-breeding populations rather than being sourced from the wild. These requirements are supported by a time-limited transitional arrangement and a commitment to review their operation.

The Government supports the use of UK-bred non-human primates where suitable animals are available. However, sourcing decisions must take account of scientific requirements, animal welfare, biosecurity and the availability of appropriate breeding populations. The Home Office will continue to monitor sourcing data and the effect of the strengthened requirements.

The Government is also investing £75 million through its strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternatives to animal use.