Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for project licences to conduct experiments on animals under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were refused permission between January and December 2021.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
No applications for a project licence to conduct experiments on animals under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were refused between 01 January and 31 December 2021.
The Government publishes extensive Guidance on applying for licences. Applications are internally reviewed by an establishment’s Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body before being submitted to the regulator for assessment. During the application process applicants have the opportunity to amend or withdraw an application in response to feedback from the regulator.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of non-compliance cases reported in each of the last five years under the Animal Scientific Procedures Act 1986 were for the failure to provide food and/or water; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Home Office Regulator’s annual reports from 2016 to 2018 are available at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/animals-in-science-regulation-unit-annual-reports.
From these reports, the Home Office can confirm that in 2016, eight cases (18% of total non-compliance cases) were related to the failure to provide appropriate care (including food, water and suitable facilities).
In 2017, eight cases (20% of total non-compliance cases) were related to the failure to provide appropriate care (including food, water and suitable facilities).
In 2018, eight cases (29% of total non-compliance cases) were related to the failure to provide appropriate care (including food, water and suitable facilities).
The data for 2019 and 2020 will soon be published in the Home Office Regulator’s annual report.
Failing to provide sufficient food and/or water to animals, as part of basic husbandry and care, is unacceptable. Establishments must have robust procedures in place to ensure the adequate provision of food and water at all times to animals kept under the protection of ASPA.
The Home Office take any allegations regarding potential non-compliance with ASPA, the Code of Practice or individual licence conditions very seriously. The published Compliance Policy, found here: (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa) explains how the Regulator identifies and investigates potential incidents of non-compliance and decides on appropriate and proportionate measures and remedies aimed to minimise the risk of recurrence.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that increased life sciences sector activity and funding does not result in increased numbers of animal experiments.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Government believes that animals should only be used when there is no practicable alternative and it actively supports and funds the development and dissemination of techniques that replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research (the 3Rs). This is achieved primarily through funding for the National Centre for the 3Rs (NC3Rs), which works nationally and internationally to drive the uptake of 3Rs technologies and to ensure that advances in the 3Rs are reflected in policy, practice and regulations on animal research. Since the NC3Rs was launched it has committed £100 million through its research, innovation, and early career awards to provide new 3Rs approaches for scientists in academia and industry to use.
The NC3Rs is widely regarded as being world leading and has an ambitious international programme to reduce the use of animals in safety testing by working with regulators and companies from the pharmaceutical, chemical, agrochemical and consumer product sectors. This has led to changes in international regulations and company practices. Recent work includes the publication of the findings of a global data sharing project, led by the NC3Rs, that indicates that there are opportunities to shift to using one animal species rather than two for some chronic toxicity studies used in pharmaceutical drug evaluation.
There has been a concern that increased life sciences activity resulting from research to find a treatment for the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increased use of animals in research. However, as detailed in the EU Clinical Trials Register (https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/) or Clinicaltrials.gov (https://clinicaltrials.gov/), the majority of products in these trials are “re-purposed” drugs and have already been developed for treatment of similar viral outbreaks, such as SARS and MERS, or have been used to treat acute respiratory distress syndrome or other inflammatory conditions. As such, none of these have required additional animal testing.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe. The rapid development of vaccines for COVID-19 has been based on a concept that the MHRA has long followed. Previous animal work on very similar vaccines have been used to support the development of the new vaccines and has reduced the number of animal studies.
The MHRA work very closely with NC3Rs in bringing together stakeholders in academia, industry, government and animal welfare organisations to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas, and the translation of research findings into practice that benefits both animals and science.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to learn from international efforts to accelerate the replacement of animal experiments with human-relevant methods, including (a) the commitment made by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to stop funding and requesting tests on mammals by 2035 and (b) the collaborative work being undertaken in the Netherlands to develop strategies for research without using animals.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is committed to ensuring that the UK remains at the forefront of global efforts to improve the use and welfare of laboratory animals. The use of animals in research is carefully regulated and remains important in ensuring new medicines and treatments are safe. The government funds the development and dissemination of techniques that replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research (the 3Rs). This is achieved primarily through UKRI funding for the National Centre for the 3Rs (NC3Rs) which works nationally and internationally to drive the uptake of 3Rs technologies and ensure that advances in the 3Rs are reflected in policy, practice and regulations on animal research. Across the UK, the NC3Rs has invested £71 million in research through grants to universities.
We recognise the important signal that the commitment of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to phase out animal testing on mammals by 2035 sends. The UK through the NC3Rs has been effective at changing international regulations on chemical and pharmaceutical safety assessment. For example, the US Office of Pesticide Programs which is part of the US Environmental Protection Agency has recently changed its fish testing requirements for bioconcentration factor studies based on the NC3Rs work in this area.
The NC3RS CRACK IT Challenges, which funds R&D to solve major challenges relating to the use of animals, includes funded research teams in the EU with the NC3Rs committing £4.35 million to teams led by organisations in the Netherlands. The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development has launched Create2Solve, a funding call in its ‘More Knowledge with Fewer Animals’ programme, that is entirely based on the NC3Rs CRACK IT Challenges programme.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the report entitled, Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Great Britain 2018, published in July 2019, what the five experiments were that were conducted on dogs for the purpose of protection of the natural environment.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
With reference to the report entitled Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Great Britain 2018, published in July 2019, 5 procedures were undertaken on dogs for the purpose of protection of the natural environment. Specifically, these procedures were conducted to investigate the disinfection of contaminated animal facilities in the interests of the health or welfare of human beings or animals.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, further to Answer of 13 May 2020 to Question 43761, on Animal Experiments: Porton Down, for what reasons infant marmosets are not reared on site prior to re-homing.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
Infant marmosets are reared on site within their family group where the family are able to do this successfully. In captivity, larger litter sizes (for example triplets) are more frequent and some marmoset families are not able to successfully rear triplets. Optimal family group welfare is maintained, where appropriate, by euthanasia of some infants to reduce litter size down to a number that the family can rear. The decision to reduce litter size is made on a case by case basis, under veterinary supervision. It would not be appropriate to hand rear marmoset infants away from their families (on site or anywhere else) as their physical and psychological welfare needs could not be met in these circumstances.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has received reports of laboratories euthanising animals due to (a) staff working from home, self-isolating, being sick or furloughed and (b) reduced demand as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Each establishment licence holder has the responsibility at all times for the welfare of the animals within their establishment, which includes ensuring appropriate level of staffing for the care of the animals held. The Home Office has made clear that establishments should continue to document the processes used and decisions made to comply with licences held under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act. Establishment animal care and welfare staff, named people and scientists are, within the Government measures, able to attend work as required to fulfil their duties.
The Home Office does not hold information of reports of laboratory animals being euthanised as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, neither is information held regarding the reduction in demand for animals.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to ensure that animals in laboratories are cared for and protected in the event that laboratory staff are self-isolating, sick, working from home or on reduced hours as a result of the covid-19 outbreak; and what steps she is taking to ensure that required inspections of animal testing facilities can be carried out safely during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Establishments are responsible for the welfare of animals in their care. The Home Office has published guidance on Business Continuity Planning for Establishments, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/guidance-on-the-operation-of-the-animals-scientific-procedures-act-1986#business-continuity-planning-guidance.
The Animals in Science Regulation ASRU has currently suspended on-site inspection visits. Inspection activities to assess compliance are being continued remotely, for example by telephone and email. There may be occasions where inspection visits need to be considered. Any such inspections will be planned on a case by case basis in accordance with official advice. Inspectors have specifically inspected establishments for preparedness for the care and protection of animals during the Coronavirus outbreak.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the effect of covid-19 on the running of animal laboratories, if she will hold discussions with owners of animal laboratories to ensure that an assessment of the potential merits of (a) adoption and (b) relocation of laboratory animals is carried out prior to decisions being taken to euthanise those animals.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
This Government encourages all establishments that are licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act (1986) (ASPA) to consider the re-homing of animals used in scientific research, whether by adoption or relocation, when it is in the best interests of the welfare of the animal, when there is no risk to public or animal health, or risk to the environment. The re-homing policy is published at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/660241/Advice_Note_Rehoming_setting_free.pdf.
All establishments have been contacted by the Animals in Science Regulation Unit to be reminded of their responsibilities under ASPA, which have not changed during the covid-19 outbreak, and include the consideration of re-homing.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has plans to ensure that animals in laboratories where staff are self-isolating, sick, working from home or on reduced hours receive (a) care and (b) protection through (i) continued inspection of the testing facilities in those laboratories and (ii) other means.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Establishments are responsible for the welfare of animals in their care. The Home Office has published guidance on Business Continuity Planning for Establishments, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/guidance-on-the-operation-of-the-animals-scientific-procedures-act-1986#business-continuity-planning-guidance.
The Animals in Science Regulation ASRU has currently suspended on-site inspection visits. Inspection activities to assess compliance are being continued remotely, for example by telephone and email. There may be occasions where inspection visits need to be considered. Any such inspections will be planned on a case by case basis in accordance with official advice. Inspectors have specifically inspected establishments for preparedness for the care and protection of animals during the Coronavirus outbreak.