Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will maintain a severity level of severe for procedures on non-human primates involved in neuroscience research that involves restraining the animals by the head and/or body for several hours every day and the use of fluid and/or food restriction while they are forced to undergo repetitive tests.

During the harm-benefit analysis the Home Office will assign the severity classification in accordance with European Directive 2010/63/EU which has been transposed into the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (as amended) and is published at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/consolidated-version-of-aspa-1986

All non-human primate project licence applications which are potentially severe severity are also considered by the Government’s independent scientific advisory body, the Animals in Science Committee, for scrutiny and advice before a decision is taken on whether, and on what terms, they may be granted.