Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has she made of the adequacy of parliamentary oversight of the operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986; and whether she has considered the potential merits of holding parliamentary inquiry into the operation of the Act.

The Government considers that there are established and proportionate arrangements for oversight of the operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The Animals in Science Committee provides independent, statutory advice to Ministers on matters relating to the Act, including the protection of animals and the sharing of good practice. Parliamentary oversight is exercised through Parliamentary Questions, debates, ministerial correspondence and scrutiny by relevant parliamentary committees, supported by the publication of annual statistics and reports from the Animals in Science Regulation Unit.

These arrangements have been strengthened through the establishment of the Animals in Science Regulation Governance Board. Operational later this year, the Board will provide external scrutiny, advice and challenge to the Home Office on the Regulator’s performance, strategy and risk. Its role is distinct from that of the Animals in Science Committee: the Committee provides independent advice on policy and the operation of the Act, while the Governance Board supports effective regulatory delivery.