Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of setting annual targets for reducing the number of instances of animal testing.

The Government has considered the importance of measuring progress in reducing reliance on animals in science. However, it is not yet possible to replace all animal use due to the complexity of biological systems and ongoing regulatory requirements. Any reduction must be science-led and delivered in step with the development, validation and regulatory acceptance of alternative methods. For this reason, the Government will not set arbitrary annual targets for overall reductions in animal testing. Instead, progress will be tracked through transparent milestones, timelines for specific actions, key performance indicators and regular public reporting under the Replacing Animals in Science strategy.