Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that the Animals in Science Regulation Unit provides appropriate regulatory oversight in the context of fewer in-person inspections to view animals and meet with staff.
In July 2021 the regulator initiated a new operating model that delivers a structured and integrated framework aligned with leading regulatory practice. In October of last year the regulator commenced a new system of audits that form part of an integrated system to assess compliance across the regulated community. The audit process and the evidence for assessment of compliance against the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, and associated licence conditions, are available here: www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-research-technical-advice#process-and-standards-for-establishment-full-system-audits.