Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they monitor the gender of mice used in research studies that are funded by UK Research and Innovation.

The Home Office does not monitor the gender of mice used in research studies by funder, including those funded by UK Research and Innovation.

The Home Office does require that applicants for project licences involving mice in research studies provide information on whether both sexes are being used and if they are not, a scientific justification is required. This information is not monitored or reported at an aggregate level.

The Home Office publishes non-technical summaries of all licensed programmes of work, setting out their objectives, predicted harms, expected benefits, and the expected number and types of animals to be used.

The Home Office also publishes annual statistics on scientific procedures on living animals in Great Britain, which include information on the number of procedures carried out, the species used, and the purposes for which procedures are undertaken.