Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a fee for a project licence under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and using the funds generated to (a) support the further development of non-animal methods and (b) improve enforcement of the regulatory framework.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
The Government charges fees for regulation under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 on a full cost recovery basis. The Government has no plans to introduce a fee for project licences. The Government will shortly increase the current fees to maintain high standards of regulation.
The Government recently announced that it will double investment, from £10m to £20m per annum, in research to achieve the three Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement) and develop non-animal alternatives. The Government will also publish a plan to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of technologies and methods to reduce reliance on the use of animals in science.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
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 in the period between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2022.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
From 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022, no applications for a project licence under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 have been refused. The number of applications refused is not an indicator for the robustness of the regulatory regime.
The Government publishes extensive guidance for the regulated sector on applying for project licences. Applications are internally reviewed by an establishment’s Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body before being submitted to the regulator for assessment.
Applications received by the regulator are frequently returned to the applicant for reconsideration. Applicants may amend or withdraw an application in response to feedback from the regulator.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the report of the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research entitled The role of review and regulatory approvals processes for animal research in supporting implementation of the 3Rs published in 2023, what steps she plans to take to support animal welfare ethical review bodies to challenge the use of animals in research projects.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
The Government is considering the independent report of February 2023, commissioned by the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research.
The Home Office publishes Guidance on the Operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) and on its audit process. The latter is available at: www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-research-technical-advice#process-and-standards-for-establishment-full-system-audits. The requirements of the Animal Welfare Ethical Review Body (AWERB) and the Named Information Officer (NIO) role are set out in the guidance, including how the AWERB and NIO role will be assessed under the audit framework.
The independent Animals in Science Committee has produced a report to support the operation of AWERBs, available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/awerb-hub-support-note.
Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to (a) establish the UK as a leader in the protections for animal rights and (b) reduce animal testing that does not constitute vital medical research.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government's Action Plan for Animal Welfare was published in May 2021 and can be found here.
The use of animals remains important for improving the understanding of how biological systems work, in the development of safe new medicines, treatments and technologies, and in testing chemicals. Government’s current approach is to actively support and fund the development and dissemination of techniques that replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research (the 3Rs) through UK Research and Innovation, and to ensure that the UK has a robust regulatory system for licensing animal studies and enforcing legal standards. The legal framework in the UK requires that animals are only ever used in science where there are no alternatives, where the number of animals used is the minimum needed to achieve the scientific benefit, and where the potential harm to animals is limited to that needed to achieve the scientific benefit.
The Home Office Regulator will only grant licences to use animals in science where there are no alternatives, where the number of animals used is the minimum needed to achieve the scientific benefit, and where the potential harm to animals is limited to that needed to achieve the scientific benefit.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Animals in Science Regulation Unit annual reports 2019 to 2021, published on 26 October 2022, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) investigating that report's findings on animal welfare in laboratories and (b) taking steps to support scientists in the development of new approach methodologies to help reduce animal testing.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
The Regulator has strengthened its regulatory oversight and published its process establishment audits at: www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-research-technical-advice#process-and-standards-for-establishment-full-system-audits. The audit process includes an animal welfare assessment.
Government policy is to actively support and fund the development and dissemination of techniques that Replace, Reduce and Refine the use of animals in research (the 3Rs). This is achieved through funding UK Research and Investment who fund the National Centre for the 3Rs and fund further research through Innovate UK, the Medical Research Council and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council into the development of alternatives.
The Regulator has a responsibility to assess all project licence applications for the full application of the principles of the 3Rs and all licence holders have a standard condition in their licences that requires them to deliver the 3Rs. In addition, all establishments have an Animal Welfare and Ethical Review body that has a responsibility to advise the Establishment Licence Holder and Project Licence Holders on the 3Rs.
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 and what proportion of applications for project licences to conduct experiments on animals under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were refused permission in each year between January 2012 and January 2022.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
From 2018 to date, no applications for project licence under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 have been refused. For previous years, the Home Office does not hold data on applications that have been refused or withdrawn through the application process.
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: Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to commemorate the 200th anniversary in July of the Cruel Treatment of Cattle Act 1822.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The introduction of the 1822 Cruel Treatment of Cattle Act was an important milestone. The UK was the first country in the world to pass legislation to protect animals and two years after this Act was passed, the organisation that would become the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was formed.
In 1875, we were the first country to introduce measures to improve conditions in slaughterhouses. In 1876, we were the first country to pass legislation regulating experiments on animals and passed the landmark Protection of Animals Act in 1911, an Act emulated by many other countries around the world. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 introduced a robust framework and powers for protecting all kept animals in England and Wales.
The UK has a strong track record for raising the bar when it comes to farm animal welfare standards, such as banning the use of battery cages for laying hens, close confinement stalls for pigs and veal crates for calves, and making CCTV mandatory in slaughterhouses in England. More recently we have introduced the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021, which increases the maximum sentence for the worst animal cruelty offences from six months to five years in England and Wales, and most recently, the Animals (Penalty Notices) Act and the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022.
We continue to mark the achievement of this landmark 1822 Act through delivery of our Action Plan for Animal Welfare and by launching in its bi-centenary year the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway to drive even higher standards of health and welfare for farmed 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, 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.