Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the strategy 'Replacing Animals in Science' published on 11 November 2025, what assessment she has made of the implications for this strategy of the use of foetal calf serum in the research and pharmaceutical industries; and what steps she is taking to promote its replacement with alternative methods.

The Government’s publication “Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods” sets out our long-term vision for a world where the use of animals in science is eliminated in all but exceptional circumstances. The strategy is intended to promote the use of any alternative method that is accurate and validated and so does not concentrate on every specific alternative. However, research and development priorities will be published biennially from 2026, developed collaboratively with industry and academic partners, to determine the best path forward to reduce reliance on animals in science.