Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to progress the approval of existing unapproved non-animal methods of pharmaceutical testing via the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

The Government has committed to partnering with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the requirements for phasing out of animal testing.

It is not yet possible to replace all animal use due to the complexity of biological systems and regulatory requirements for their use. The Government is engaging with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on how to accelerate the science-led adoption of alternatives to the use of animals for drug development and testing. These will need to be incorporated into international regulatory guidelines which the MHRA adhere to.