Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many project licence applications under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were rejected between January 2026 - September 2026.

Between 1 January 2026 and 30 September 2026, no applications for project licences under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were refused.

The Government publishes extensive guidance for the regulated sector on applying for project licences. Applications are internally reviewed by an establishment’s Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body before agreement by the Named Person Responsible for Compliance, in advance of being submitted to the Home Office Regulator for assessment. Home Office Inspectors in the Regulator will only review applications from establishments that fulfil all requirements of the legislation.

Applications received by the Regulator may be returned to the applicant for clarification and/or amendment before being re-assessed. Applicants may amend or withdraw an application in response to feedback from the Regulator.

The structuring of the application process therefore means that the number of applications refused should not be taken as a reliable indicator of the robustness of the regulatory regime.