Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for project licences to conduct experiments on animals under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were refused permission in the period between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2022.

From 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022, no applications for a project licence under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 have been refused. The number of applications refused is not an indicator for the robustness of the regulatory regime.

The Government publishes extensive guidance for the regulated sector on applying for project licences. Applications are internally reviewed by an establishment’s Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body before being submitted to the regulator for assessment.

Applications received by the regulator are frequently returned to the applicant for reconsideration. Applicants may amend or withdraw an application in response to feedback from the regulator.