Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to prevent animal testing for cosmetic (a) products and (b) product ingredients.

The Home Office is responsible for the operation of the regulatory framework underpinning the Animal (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

The Home Office’s role is to protect the animals used in science by ensuring in so far as possible that relevant bodies and individuals comply with their duties under the ASPA.

The Home Office do this through considering and making decisions on applications for licences for testing, based on the underlying legal requirements, as well as carrying out enforcement activity and compliance assurance activities during the lifetime of a licence, for example through inspections. This includes ensuring that no animal testing is conducted in circumstances where there are practicable alternatives.