Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the number of inspectors employed within the Home Office’s Animals in Science Regulation Unit.

The Regulator’s capacity and capability for service delivery and compliance assurance purposes is aligned with the requirements defined in the legislation. This includes in-person announced and unannounced visits to licensed establishments. The Regulator has strengthened its regulatory oversight and published its process of full system audits at: www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-research-technical-advice#process-and-standards-for-establishment-full-system-audits. The Regulator is presently recruiting further Inspectors to enhance capacity.