Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on (a) the number of beagles bred, (b) the number used in regulated procedures, (c) the number euthanised before use in regulated procedures, (d) the reasons recorded for euthanasia, and (e) the number rehomed by MBR Acres in each of the last five years.

Under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, licensed establishments must maintain records of the source, use and final disposal of all protected animals bred, kept or used at the establishment for regulated activity. These records must be available to Home Office Inspectors on request.

The Home Office does not centrally hold annual establishment-level data on the number of beagles bred by MBR Acres, the number euthanised before use in regulated procedures, the reasons for euthanasia, or the number rehomed.

The Home Office publishes annual statistics on the use of animals in scientific procedures, which include information on procedures involving dogs. These statistics are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-of-scientific-procedures-on-living-animals. However, these statistics do not provide the requested figures for animals re-homed.

In addition, project licence applications under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 are required to include prospective estimates of the number of animals expected to be used. This information is included in the published non-technical summaries of project licences granted available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/non-technical-summaries-of-projects-granted-under-aspa.