Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Hanson of Flint on 26 March (HL15813) and 20 April (HL16218 and HL16219), how many project licence applications under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were rejected (1) in 2025, and (2) between 1 January 2026 and 30 April 2026.

Between 1 January 2025 and 30 April 2026, no applications for a project licence under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were refused.

The Government publishes extensive guidance for the regulated sector on applying for project licences. Applications are internally reviewed by an establishment’s Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body before being submitted to the Home Office Regulator for assessment. Home Office Inspectors in the Regulator will only review applications from establishments that fulfil all requirements of the legislation.

Applications received by the Regulator may be returned to the applicant for clarification and/or amendment before being re-assessed. Applicants may amend or withdraw an application in response to feedback from the Regulator.

The structuring of the application process therefore means that the number of applications refused is not an indicator for the robustness of the regulatory regime.