Written question asked by Stephen Morgan (Labour) on Wednesday, 6 December 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 11 December 2023. It was answered by Andrew Griffith (Conservative) on Friday, 15 December 2023 on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Science: Research

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an expert advisory task force on non-animal scientific research.

Answer: The Government has no current plans to establish an expert advisory group on non-animal research. The Government is committed to fully implementing the 3Rs, techniques that replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research, including transitioning to non-animal methods, wherever possible. The Government funds the National Centre for the 3Rs (NC3Rs), which is widely recognised for its expertise, and delivers a range of initiatives to help the scientific community put the 3Rs into practice. The NC3Rs has recently set out its three-year strategy to increase the focus on animal replacement technologies and champion high standards in animal research.

Secondary information