Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Annual statistics of scientific procedures on living animals, Great Britain: 2023, published on 11 September 2024, and to the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, for what reason there was an increase in ‘other dogs’ uses between 2022 and 2023.

The 2023 Annual Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain, provides details of the uses of the animals. The purposes of use of the 205 ‘other dogs’ in experimental procedures are in Table 3.2. The purposes, and numbers of dogs used, are: Basic Research (55 for Immune System, 32 Multisystemic and 47 Ethology, Animal Behaviour and Animal Biology Work), and 71 in Translational/Applied Research: Animal Diseases and Disorders. The baseline numbers of animals used will be dependent on a range of extraneous factors.

In all licensed work, the Home Office assures that the minimum number of animals are used, each of which experience the minimum level of harm in achieving the scientific outcome sought.