Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many animals, and in particular how many (1) beagles and (2) non-human primates, they approved for use in scientific procedures in licences granted in 2025; and how this aligns with their commitment to phase out animal testing through their ‘Replacing animals in science’ strategy.

Statistics about the use of animals in scientific procedures in 2025, including beagles and non-human primates, will be published later this year as Accredited Official Statistics.

The Home Office publishes annual statistics on the use of animals in science which contain information on the number of procedures conducted, including breakdowns by species of animals (including beagles). The statistics report both the total number of procedures conducted and the number of animals used for the first time in a given year. Data are collected and published on an annual basis and are not disaggregated by licence approvals at the point of authorisation.

In addition, the Home Office publishes non-technical summaries for every project licence granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. These are published quarterly and include information on the species and the number of animals expected to be used over the lifetime of the project licence.

This Government remains firmly committed to working towards the phasing out of animals in science. The strategy, ‘Replacing animals in science’, sets specific targets to reduce the use of dogs and non-human primates by 2030, while ensuring the UK continues to support safe and effective scientific and medical research.