Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many project licence applications involving the use of dogs under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were (a) withdrawn and (b) amended following feedback relating to the availability of non-animal alternative methods in each of the last five years.

The Home Office does not centrally record the number of applications withdrawn, nor amendments to project licence applications by reference to specific issues raised during or after assessment, including the availability of non‑animal alternative methods. The Regulator advises that withdrawn applications are very rare, while amendments to applications form a routine part of the assessment process.

All applications are subject to multiple stages of review prior to submission to the Home Office, including the delivery of legal responsibilities of the applicant to the principles of replacement, scrutiny by an establishment’s Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body and sign off by the establishment licence holder. This means that proposals where non-animal alternatives are available will not be progressed for application.

Applications may be amended and it is common for there to be at least one iteration of the original application before it can be granted. This would be based on discussions between the Regulator and the applicant and could be about any aspect of the licence. It is also common for amendments to be made to licences after they are granted.

In 2024, 472 licences were granted and 905 amendments made (post grant). Data for 2025 will be published in the Animals in Science Regulation Unit’s annual report.