Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to help reduce the number of non-essential scientific experimentations on live animals.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 25th November 2025 to Question UIN 91769 https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-11-17/91769
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to (a) monitor delivery of the Replacing Animals in Science strategy, (b) provide stable multi-year funding for its implementation, including UKCVAM, (c) publish milestones and progress updates, and (d) support regulatory changes to increase the uptake of non-animal methods, including delivery of the strategy’s 2026 commitments.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government’s strategy Replacing animals in science strategy is setting up governance structures, including a Ministerial board, to oversee progress and ensure momentum is maintained. £60m of ringfenced, multiyear funding has been provided to secure long-term investment for the strategy’s measures, including UKCVAM and the preclinical translational models hub, through the 2025 Spending Review. Transparent targets and milestones, alongside KPIs will be published starting in 2026. Current legislation requires alternatives to animals to be used wherever available, so there are no current plans to change legislation.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that organisations that hold licenses to use animals in science provide those animals with access to food and water; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the sanction given to people who fail to provide access to food and water.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
All licensed establishments must fully uphold the required standards for animal welfare as set out in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) and the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes. This includes clear duties on ensuring animals have access to food and water.
The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) audits establishments to assure compliance with these requirements and takes any potential non-compliance very seriously.
Where incidents relating to access to food or water have occurred, ASRU has investigated them in line with its published Compliance Policy Framework, which sets out how potential non-compliance is identified, investigated, and addressed (www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa).
All cases are thoroughly investigated and ASRU applies the most suitable remedy based on the severity of the incident. A broad range of sanctions are available, and outcomes are published in ASRU’s Annual Report to support learning and ensure transparency. Through consistent delivery of the compliance policy the Regulator aims to drive up standards of welfare.
Asked by: Laura Kyrke-Smith (Labour - Aylesbury)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure regulators, industry, academia, civil society and NGOs can contribute on equal terms to shaping and overseeing delivery of the strategy entitled, Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government consulted regulators, industry, academia and civil society during the development of the Replacing Animals in Science strategy and will continue to do so during strategy implementation, including via the Home Office-led forums. This includes collaboration with civil society organisations with expertise in this area, including animal welfare organisations and learned societies, and other interested groups. We will also include regulators within our governance, given the importance of regulatory acceptance. Any work to phase out animal testing and regulatory procedures, must be science-led and in lock step with partners.
Asked by: Laura Kyrke-Smith (Labour - Aylesbury)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to track the progress of the 26 commitments, set out in the policy paper entitled Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025, which will be delivered or started during 2026 and 2027 to prioritise the development and validation of alternative methods of using animals in science.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government’s strategy Replacing animals in science, commits to publish biennially from 2026 a list of alternative-methods research and development priorities, coalescing UK scientists around these areas and incentivising partnerships between research organisations, CROs and industry. To enable progress to be tracked against the 26 commitments set out in the strategy quarterly ministerial meetings are being held and there is a monthly reporting dashboard to ensure ministers can track progress.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to phase out the use of crustaceans in scientific experimentation.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Government is committed to non-animal alternatives in science and has published a strategy which 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 available at:
The strategy does not preclude the development of alternatives to the use of animal species not currently covered by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) protections, including decapod crustaceans.
The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 recognised decapod crustaceans as sentient beings. The Government remains committed to an evidence-based and proportionate approach to setting welfare standards for decapod crustaceans, both for those caught for human consumption and those used in scientific research.
The Home Office is carefully considering next steps, in collaboration with other relevant departments, on whether decapod crustaceans should be brought within the scope of ASPA.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report 2024, published in December 2025, what steps they are taking to prevent and sanction non-compliance to regulations including (1) the re-use of animals for testing without licence, (2) depriving animals used for testing of food and water and, (3) animals used for testing dying due to drowning or starvation.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government remains fully committed to continuous improvement in the regulation of the use of animals in science, and to strengthening the UK’s position as a global leader in science and innovation. As part of this, the Home Office is in the final stages of delivering a comprehensive programme of regulatory reform to further strengthen the Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU), ensuring confidence in the regulatory system and maintaining robust compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA).
As part of the reform programme, the number of inspectors will increase from 14.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions at the end of 2017 to 22 FTE positions by March 2026.
All licensed establishments must fully uphold the standards for animal welfare set out in ASPA and in the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes. ASRU conducts regular audits to assure compliance and takes any instance of non-compliance extremely seriously.
ASRU’s published Compliance Policy (www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa) sets out how the regulator identifies, investigates and responds to potential incidents of non‑compliance, and how it applies appropriate and proportionate measures and sanctions where breaches are found. Through the delivery of this policy, the regulator aims to minimise the risk of future non‑compliance.
The Government’s strategy Replacing Animals in Science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods sets out a long-term vision to accelerate the development and use of nonanimal approaches. The Home Office will continue to apply ASPA’s rigorous licensing framework, ensuring that animals are only used where no validated non-animal alternative exists.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report 2024, published in December 2025, what assessment they have made of the two incidents in which live animals were found to have been accidentally put into waste bags; whether they have considered the adequacy of 'letters of reprimand' being issued as a sanction in response; and what actions they will be taking to prevent such incidents from taking place in future.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
All licensed establishments must fully uphold the required standards for animal welfare as set out in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) and the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes. The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) conducts audits to assure establishments’ compliance and takes matters of non-compliance very seriously.
Regarding the incidents referenced, ASRU investigated the incidents and acted according to the published compliance framework (www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa) which explains how ASRU identifies and investigates potential incidents of non-compliance and decides on appropriate and proportionate measures and remedies where non-compliance has been found to occur. Through delivery of the compliance policy the Regulator aims to reduce the risk of future non-compliance.
All cases of non-compliance are thoroughly investigated, and the outcomes are published in ASRU’s annual report.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the commitment in the Replacing Animals in Science Strategy, published in November 2025, to "accelerate uptake in alternative methods through reform of animals in science regulation", and reports of non-compliance described in the Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report 2024, published in December 2025, whether they plan to undertake a wider review of the adequacy of regulation in this area; what steps they will be taking to prevent non-compliance; and whether they plan to review the wider performance of the Animals in Science Regulation Unit, including its use of sanctions in response to non-compliance.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government remains fully committed to continuous improvement in the regulation of the use of animals in science, and to strengthening the UK’s position as a global leader in science and innovation. As part of this, the Home Office is in the final stages of delivering a comprehensive programme of regulatory reform to further strengthen the Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU), ensuring confidence in the regulatory system and maintaining robust compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA).
As part of the reform programme, the number of inspectors will increase from 14.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions at the end of 2017 to 22 FTE positions by March 2026.
All licensed establishments must fully uphold the standards for animal welfare set out in ASPA and in the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes. ASRU conducts regular audits to assure compliance and takes any instance of non-compliance extremely seriously.
ASRU’s published Compliance Policy (www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa) sets out how the regulator identifies, investigates and responds to potential incidents of non‑compliance, and how it applies appropriate and proportionate measures and sanctions where breaches are found. Through the delivery of this policy, the regulator aims to minimise the risk of future non‑compliance.
The Government’s strategy Replacing Animals in Science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods sets out a long-term vision to accelerate the development and use of nonanimal approaches. The Home Office will continue to apply ASPA’s rigorous licensing framework, ensuring that animals are only used where no validated non-animal alternative exists.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department will be taking to prevent establishments licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 from keeping animals in sub-standard facilities.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
All licenced establishments must meet the minimum required standards for care and accommodation, as set out in the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-for-the-housing-and-care-of-animals-bred-supplied-or-used-for-scientific-purposes).
The Home Office Regulator conducts both announced and unannounced audits to assure establishments’ compliance with the required standards in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, the Code of Practice and their individual licence conditions.
In confirmed cases of non-compliance, the Regulator applies remedies aimed at minimising the risk of future recurrence, in line with its compliance policy (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa). The Regulator will continue to publish all cases of non-compliance in its Annual Reports, where it considers root causes of and key learnings from non-compliance and makes recommendations to reduce future risk. (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animals-in-science-regulation-unit-annual-reports).