Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they reject project licence applications under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 because they deliberately inflict unacceptable levels of pain on animals.

Under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), any procedure carried out for a qualifying scientific or educational purpose which may cause a level of pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm equivalent to, or higher than that caused by the insertion of a needle is assessed on a case by case basis using a harm-benefit analysis.

A licence will not be granted If the likely harms to animals, including pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm, are not justified by the expected benefits, or where the requirements of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) are not met.

Where a proposed programme of work would involve unacceptable levels of harm (beyond the lawful category of ‘severe’), or where those harms cannot be adequately minimised, the application would not be authorised.

All authorised work must remain within expected severity limits. Any exceedance of these limits would be treated as non-compliance and subject to investigation and enforcement action.