Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with MBR Acres about rehoming beagles who do not meet laboratory requirements.

The Home Office engages with licensed establishments, including MBR Acres, through its regulatory activity. The Home Office provides a clear framework to all licensed establishments that supports the rehoming of animals where the statutory safeguards can be met and the welfare of the animals concerned remains the primary consideration.

Decisions on whether an individual animal is suitable for rehoming are made on a case-by-case basis, informed by veterinary advice and the animal’s health, welfare and behavioural needs. Where the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 applies, rehoming must meet the relevant statutory safeguards.