Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether harm–benefit analyses are undertaken for each individual toxicity study carried out under a service licence (involving multiple generic projects) issued to a contract research organisation.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

All project licence applications, including service licences covering multiple generic projects, are subject to the harm–benefit analysis (HBA) process required under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA).

This process is undertaken by the Home Office Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) to ensure that harms caused to the animals is fully justified by the expected benefits for humans, animals or the environment and evaluates whether a project licence application can be legally authorised.

The HBA is not undertaken for each individual study, because ASPA authorises project licences (programme of work), rather than requiring separate regulatory authorisation for each individual experiment. Individual studies carried out under a service licence must remain within the scope, severity limits and conditions of the licensed programme of work and are subject to scrutiny by the establishment’s Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body and inspection by ASRU.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps to ensure that Initial Teacher Training equips all new teachers with the skills to deliver adaptive teaching for children with speech and language challenges.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for South West Norfolk to the answer of 2 March 2026 to Question 115276.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether non-animal alternatives must be validated if they are being used to provide data on the safety and efficacy of potential new pharmaceuticals within submissions to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed

The term ‘validation’ is broad and subject to a variety of definitions. Regarding the use of animal models for submission to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), non-animal alternatives must be demonstrated to be fit for the purpose intended when used to characterise the safety and potential efficacy of new pharmaceuticals. A new guideline issued in March of this year describes the current MHRA approach to medicines using non-animal methods, and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mhra-approach-to-medicines-using-non-animal-methods#:~:text=In%20making%20an%20application%20to,not%20support%20testing%20in%20animals

Found: Conservative; Bridlington and The Wolds) Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat; Glastonbury and Somerton) Terry Jermy

Found: Conservative; Bridlington and The Wolds) Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat; Glastonbury and Somerton) Terry Jermy

Found: Conservative; Bridlington and The Wolds) Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat; Glastonbury and Somerton) Terry Jermy

Found: members present: Mr Alistair Carmichael (Chair); Sarah Bool; Juliet Campbell; Charlie Dewhirst; Terry Jermy

Found: Conservative; Bridlington and The Wolds) Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat; Glastonbury and Somerton) Terry Jermy