Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to 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, what progress has she made in working with the Home Office to review how additional statistics, such as those on the numbers of animals used for creation and breeding of genetically altered animals, can lead to guidance on efficient breeding practices.

The Home Office is responsible for the regulation and collection of statistics on the use of animals in science under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The Home Office is working closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to consider how the existing and future collections of publication of additional statistics can continue to support good practice.

This work is progressing as part of cross government collaboration to ensure that data collection, analysis and publication remain proportionate, scientifically meaningful and aligned with the objectives of the Replacing animals in science strategy, while maintaining the UK’s high standards of animal welfare and regulatory oversight.

The Government will publish a delivery update, alongside key performance indicators on progress across all elements of the strategy, later in 2026.