Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's report entitled Animals in Science Regulation Unit: Annual report 2023, published on 17 December 2024, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the level of cases of failing to provide adequate (a) food and (b) water to animals.

The Home Office takes non-compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 very seriously. The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) has published its compliance framework (www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa) which explains how it identifies and investigates potential incidents of non-compliance and decides on appropriate and proportionate measures and remedies where non-compliance has been found to occur. The Regulator’s published compliance policy aims to reduce the risk of future non-compliance.

All cases of non-compliance are thoroughly investigated, and the outcomes are published in ASRU’s annual report.

Data regarding types of non-compliance is used to inform the risk-based audit programme, as well as targeting educational communications to establishments, to promote compliance. The Regulator has provided recommendations to licensed establishments at p30 of the report (www.gov.uk/government/publications/animals-in-science-regulation-unit-annual-report-2023).

For cases of non-compliance where animals experienced adverse welfare outcomes cases there was a 48% reduction in 2023 compared to 2022