Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the incident described in the Animals in Science Regulation Unit’s annual reports for 2019-2021 in which a non-human primate died after becoming trapped behind a restraint device; and what steps her Department is taking to prevent such incidents recurring.

Each establishment licence holder has the responsibility at all times for the welfare of the animals within their establishment.

The Home Office take any allegations regarding non-compliance with the law, the Code of Practice or individual licence conditions very seriously. The Compliance Policy, found here: (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa) explains how the Regulator identifies and investigates potential incidents of non-compliance and decides on appropriate and proportionate measures and remedies aimed to minimise the risk of recurrence. The Regulator focusses on delivering the right sanctions to achieve better compliance outcomes.

In July 2021 the Regulator initiated a new operating model that delivers a more structured and integrated framework aligned with leading regulatory practice. The assessment of compliance in this new model is achieved through a variety of methods including full system, facilities and partial audits, review of reports, investigation and management of cases of potential non-compliance.