Animal Experiments
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Animals in Science Regulation Unit's annual report 2023, published on 17 December 2024, what steps her Department is taking to stop future instances of animals (a) dying and (b) being euthanised as a result of their cages flooding.
Answered by Dan Jarvis
The Home Office Regulator expects all establishments licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 that use automatic watering systems for animals to have appropriate fail safes in place. The Regulator publishes standard conditions in the Regulation against which it assesses compliance through audit and reporting (Standard Condition 4: www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-operation-of-the-animals-scientific-procedures-act-1986).
The Home Office takes failures in these systems, that represent non-compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, seriously. The Home Office regulator reviews each non-compliance case and provides details in its annual report (www.gov.uk/government/publications/animals-in- science-regulation-unit-annual-report-2023). Sanctions are applied in cases of non-compliance to reduce the risk of future non-compliance. Data regarding non-compliances is used to inform the risk-based audit programme.
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