Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, following the UK's exit of the EU, whether she plans to review the regulatory requirements that necessitated the 24 per cent of regulatory testing on animals that was reported to have caused moderate or severe suffering in 2020.

The requirements for regulatory testing are set by regulatory bodies across Government. The Home Department regulates the use of animals in science through administration and enforcement of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) which describes that the evaluation of a programme of work is favourable if it is required by law.

All UK regulations and regulators abide by the principles of the 3Rs (the replacement, reduction and refinement of animal use) and therefore only require animal testing where there are no alternatives and where pain, suffering, distress and lasting harm are minimised to the degree needed to meet the scientific requirements of the regulations.