Written questions by Mayer.

Pursuant to the Answers of 21 January 2025 to Questions 23569 and 23568 on Animal Experiments, what steps she is taking to ensure that more (a) establishments are audited, (b) audits are unannounced and (c) animals are not subjected to additional harms through failures to provide adequate care.

All establishments licensed to breed or supply animals, or to carry out regulated procedures on animals under ASPA in Great Britain, are subject to the full requirements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). This provides for a regulatory regimen of activities that protects animals in science including facilities audits by the Home Office to ensure compliance with the terms of their licences, the Code of Practice and with ASPA.The Animals in Science Regulation Unit conducts audits to assure establishments’ compliance with the terms of their licences, the Code of Practice and with ASPA. Each establishment will receive an audit at least every three years if it does not hold special species and at least every year if it holds specially protected species.The Regulator is presently undertaking a structured programme of reforms. This will increase the total number of Inspectors from 17 at the end of 2023, to 22 by end of 2025.

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 increase compliance with (a) legislation and (b) licence conditions with respect to the provision of care for animals.

The Regulator’s annual report details the range of ways in which it detects instances of non-compliance and seeks to drive greater compliance with the Animal (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) and licence conditions.The Regulator conducts regular on-site audits. The published framework for audit is based on clear benchmarks and assessing compliance through organisational governance to encourage greater commitment to compliance. The framework is publicly accessible at: www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-research-technical-advice#process-and-standards-for-establishment-full-system-audits.To provide assurance of compliance with the Regulation, the Regulator provides clear and accessible operational guidance. All establishments licensed to breed or supply animals, or to carry out regulated procedures on animals, under ASPA must comply with the Code of Practice which sets out mandatory standards for the appropriate care and accommodation of animals.

With reference to the Animals in Science Regulation Unit’s annual report 2023, published on 17 December 2024, for what reasons has there been an increase in incidents involving failure to provide adequate care for animals.

The Home Office takes non-compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 very seriously. The numbers of non-compliance cases vary in any given year. The total number of non-compliance cases reduced from 175 to 169 cases from 2022-23. Between these same years there was also a 48% reduction in adverse welfare cases.The reasons for each non-compliance involving failure to provide adequate care is provided in the Animals in Science Regulation Unit annual report. The Regulator has not made any further assessment.

If she will make an assessment of trends in the level of violent crime during heatwaves in 2024.

There is a wide body of academic research pointing to associations between short-term increased temperatures and violent crime, but the Home Office has no plans to conduct any future specific research in this area in relation to heatwaves in 2024.

How many and what proportion of enquiries to Action Fraud were taken up in the latest period for which data is available.

Action Fraud is the national reporting point for fraud and cyber crime, operated by City of London Police who are the national policing lead for fraud. The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) analyses reports from Action Fraud for key information an...

How many flooding incidents the fire and rescue services have responded to in England in each year since 2010.

The latest available data (year ending March 2024) on the number flooding incidents attended by Fire and rescue Services in England is published in FIRE0901, available here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67165e5c9242eecc6c849b5e/fire-stati...

Whether her Department has had discussions with police forces on the provision of training on potential inks between domestic violence and violence against animals.

The Government will treat violence against women and girls (VAWG) as a national emergency. We have set out our ambition to halve VAWG in a decade using every available lever.Committing violence towards a pet or an assistance animal or using them to contro...

How her Department plans to allocate the funding to tackle shoplifting announced in the Autumn Budget 2024.

Shop theft is at a record high. This Government is taking strong action by removing the threshold for shop theft under £200 and making it a specific criminal offence for assaults on shopworkers.As announced in the Autumn Budget, and building on current Ho...

What estimate she has made of number of beagles needed for use in laboratory experiments in the UK.

animals bred in the UK for use in scientific procedures. All establishments licenced to breed protected animals under ASPA are required to comply with the published Code of Practice, which sets out standards for the appropriate care and accommodation of a...

What steps her Department is taking to (a) regulate and (b) monitor (i) MBR Acres and (ii) other breeding facilities to ensure compliance with animal welfare standards.

The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) provides protections for animals bred in the UK for use in scientific procedures. All establishments licenced to breed protected animals under ASPA are required to comply with the published Code of Pract...

What recent steps her Department has taken to protect the welfare of beagles bred for sale to animal testing facilities.

animals bred in the UK for use in scientific procedures. All establishments licenced to breed protected animals under ASPA are required to comply with the published Code of Practice, which sets out standards for the appropriate care and accommodation of a...

What estimate she has made of the number of beagles being bred for use in laboratory experiments in the UK.

animals bred in the UK for use in scientific procedures. All establishments licenced to breed protected animals under ASPA are required to comply with the published Code of Practice, which sets out standards for the appropriate care and accommodation of a...

What discussions her Department has had with police forces on training on links between domestic violence and animal abuse.

This Government is committed to tackling domestic abuse in all its forms. Achieving the mission of halving violence against women and girls in a decade will require a whole systems approach. Domestic abuse is a hidden crime and it is critical that all age...

If her Department will outline a planned timeline for the rollout of Young Futures hubs.

The Government is committed to rolling out a new Youth Futures programme, including a network of Young Futures Hubs which will bring together services to help improve the way young people can access the support they need.Officials from across a range of d...

If her Department will publish a list of animal tests replaced by non-animal methods since 2010.

The use of animals in scientific procedures is only authorised by the Home Office Regulator where there is clear scientific benefit, to people, animals, or the environment, and only when all aspects of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 have been fulfilled.Licence applicants are required to robustly evidence their consideration of alternative methods. The Regulator reviews all licence applications and will only issue a licence once it is satisfied there are no practicable alternative methods.

What plans her Department has to support the availability of bleed control kits in (a) Central Bedfordshire and (b) the UK.

The use of bleed control kits is determined at the local level and the Government does not provide specific funding for bleed control kits.Where decisions have been made by police forces to deploy bleed control kits, these would have been done as part of their operational decision making, including how to allocate resources based on their local knowledge and experience.

If she will establish a review of knife (a) advertising and (b) sales including the strengthening of (i) ID and (ii) age checks by delivery services.

Tackling the illegal sales of knives online is a very important part of the Government’s mission to make our streets safer and reduce knife crime we will make further announcements in due course about our review into this area.

If she will make an assessment of the number of police hours spent on investigating shoplifting crimes in Bedfordshire in which the value of the goods taken was less than £200, in the latest period for which data is available.

The latest Police Recorded Crime figures showed 443,995 shoplifting offences for the year ending March 2024, an increase by 30% compared to the previous 12 months. Although the volume of charges for shoplifting rose by 47% in the year ending March 2024 (to 74,221 charges), shoplifting continues to increase at an unacceptable level, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers when committing these thefts. The Government will not stand for this.We welcome the National Police Chiefs Council Retail Crime Action Plan Fighting retail crime: more action - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) which includes a commitment to prioritise police attendance at the scene where violence has been used towards shop staff, where an offender has been detained by store security, and where evidence needs to be secured and can only be done by police personnel.We do not hold the data for the number of police hours spent on investigating shoplifting crimes in which the value of goods taken was less than £200. However, through the Crime and Policing Bill, the Government will end the effective immunity, introduced by the previous government, granted to low level shoplifting of goods under £200. We will also introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.

With reference to the Written Statement of 17 May 2023 on Regulation Update, HCWS779, if she will make it her Department's policy to reinstate a full ban on the testing of cosmetic products on animals covering chemicals used (a) exclusively and (b) predominantly as cosmetic product ingredients.

Animal testing of cosmetics for consumer safety has been banned in the UK since 1998 and this remains in force.Additionally, the Government does not issue licences for animal testing of chemicals that are used exclusively as cosmetics ingredients, carried out under chemicals (REACH) regulations for the purpose of worker and environmental safety.No animal testing is being conducted, nor will any testing be authorised, of chemicals that are exclusively intended to be used as ingredients in cosmetics products.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a medal for seriously injured and medically retired emergency service personnel.

We owe a tremendous gratitude to dedicated emergency service workers for their continued hard work and sacrifice to protect the public. There is no doubt that those who have their service cut short have made, and in many cases will continue to make, an invaluable contribution to the emergency services.Medals are awarded by the Government, on behalf of His Majesty The King to recognise individuals within the service. The creation of a new medal requires a cross Government consensus before advice is put to HM The King, the implementation of a fair set of criteria and processes, and the allocation of funding. Ultimately, these decisions sit with The Monarch but the Government is happy to consider the case for any new medal or award, subject to comprehensive assessment across government to consider whether a medal of this kind would be feasible.