Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2025 to Question 31403 on Animal Experiments: Licensing, when that project licence application was refused; for what reason it was refused; and what the intended purpose of the project licence was.

The project licence refused by the animals in science Regulator in November 2024 was for training and educational purposes. It was refused due to the existence of a scientifically satisfactory alternative.

The structuring of the application process means that the number of applications refused is not an indicator for the robustness of the regulatory regime. The Government publishes extensive guidance for the regulated sector on applying for project licences.