Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Answer of 17 October 2023 to Question 200502 on Clinical Trials, whether she is taking steps to support the pharmaceutical industry in the (a) development and (b) use of human-specific technologies.

The government is committed to supporting the growth of technologies that support human-specific research, including stem cell research, cell culture systems, imaging and computer modelling. UK Research & Innovation funds the development of techniques that replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research (the 3Rs) through the National Centre for 3Rs (NC3Rs). Since it was established the NC3Rs has invested £89.3 million in research and £27 million in contracts through its CRACK IT Challenges scheme, mainly focusing on new approaches for the safety assessment of pharmaceuticals and chemicals that reduce the use of animals.