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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the use of animals in scientific procedures undertaken to meet regulatory requirements outside the UK and EU.

We are supporting the development, validation and international acceptance of alternative methods, including through the forthcoming UK Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (UKCVAM), engagement with international regulators and participation in OECD test guideline programmes. We are also strengthening bilateral and multilateral partnerships to support the global uptake of validated alternatives, helping to reduce reliance on animal testing while maintaining high standards of human, animal and environmental safety.