Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for project licenses involving canines were refused by her Department in the last 12 months on the sole basis that a scientifically satisfactory (a) method and (b) testing strategy was already available.

The Home Office regulates the use of animals in science under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). Under ASPA, all project licence applications must comply with the principles of Replacement, Reduction and Refinement (the 3Rs), which set out that animals may only be used when no validated non-animal alternative exists, the number of animals is minimised, and any potential harms are minimised.

In the last twelve months, the Home Office has not refused any licences involving canines on the grounds that a scientifically satisfactory non-animal alternative method or testing strategy was available.

The number of formal refusals is not, however, a meaningful indicator of either application of non-animal alternatives or regulatory rigour. All applications go through multiple review stages before reaching the Home Office Regulator, and guidance is available to assist applicants in preparing submissions that meet all legal requirements. Only applications that fully meet the requirements of the legislation may be considered for licensing authorisation.

All establishments licensed to use animals must have an Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body (AWERB), which reviews proposals before they are submitted to the Regulator. Therefore, establishments’ internal review processes are intended to identify where suitable alternatives are available before applications are progressed to the Home Office.

Applications received by the Home Office are subject to detailed scrutiny, including requests for clarification or amendment where required. Applicants may revise or withdraw an application in response to feedback.