The Animal and Plant Health Agency does not routinely hold records of non-compliance with bird registration requirements or any subsequent enforcement activity. These records are held by the relevant local authority because they are responsible for the enforcement of bird registration requirements under the Animal Health Act.

The Government is committed to ensuring that non-human primates used in scientific procedures are sourced responsibly and used only where no suitable alternative is available. In 2025, 1,845 non-human primates were used for the first time in scientific procedures in Great Britain. All marmosets, tamarins and rhesus monkeys were born at licensed establishments in the UK, while the majority of cynomolgus monkeys were born overseas, but were not sourced from the wild.

Following advice from the Animals in Science Committee, the Home Office strengthened its sourcing requirements from 1 August 2025 so that non-human primates should come from established captive-breeding populations rather than being sourced from the wild. These requirements are supported by a time-limited transitional arrangement and a commitment to review their operation.

The Government supports the use of UK-bred non-human primates where suitable animals are available. However, sourcing decisions must take account of scientific requirements, animal welfare, biosecurity and the availability of appropriate breeding populations. The Home Office will continue to monitor sourcing data and the effect of the strengthened requirements.

The Government is also investing £75 million through its strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternatives to animal use.

As set out in the Land Use Framework and the Animal Welfare Strategy for England, this Government committed to strengthening the evidence base on gamebird rearing, release and shooting in England.

Defra’s Gamebird rapid evidence review was published in 2020 and is available here. Further research into these findings was published in 2025 and available here. A Call for Evidence, launched on 4 September will gather any further information and evidence on the potential environmental impacts of gamebird release, including native biodiversity and to improve our understanding of both the positive and negative impacts associated with these activities.

As set out in the Land Use Framework and the Animal Welfare Strategy for England, this Government committed to strengthening the evidence base on gamebird rearing, release and shooting in England.

Defra’s Gamebird rapid evidence review was published in 2020 and is available here. Further research into these findings was published in 2025 and available here. A Call for Evidence, launched on 4 September will gather any further information and evidence on the potential environmental impacts of gamebird release, including native biodiversity and to improve our understanding of both the positive and negative impacts associated with these activities.

The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 require anyone in the business of breeding and selling dogs and/or who breeds three or more litters in a twelve-month period to have a valid licence from their local authority. It is for local authorities to use the powers of inspection and licensing to implement the regime.

As part of the Animal Welfare Strategy, this Government has committed to consult on dog breeding reforms to improve the health and welfare of breeding dogs and their puppies.

Dog fighting is illegal under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the 2006 Act) which also applies to those who are present at a fight. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 amended the 2006 Act to increase the maximum penalty for the most serious offences from six months to five years’ imprisonment. This strengthened penalty enables courts to take a firmer approach to cases such as dog fighting.

We remain committed to implementing the Precision Breeding Act and enabling the safe development of innovative genetic technologies.

Under the UK‑EU Common Understanding, it is recognised that there will be areas where the UK will retain its own rules. The detail of those is subject to ongoing negotiations, and it would not be appropriate to comment further.

The Government welcomes the reduction in experimental procedures reported as severe in the 2025 published annual statistics. The proportion fell from 3.4% in 2024 to 1.3% in 2025, with the number of severe procedures decreasing from 48,380 to 17,593. Procedure numbers may increase or decrease from year to year due to changes in scientific and public health priorities, scientific innovation, research funding, regulatory requirements, and the application of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement).

The majority of this change was a large decrease seen in batch potency testing, falling from 27,323 severe procedures in 2024 to 521 in 2025. Batch potency testing is a form of quality control testing used to confirm that a batch of a medicine, vaccine or other biological product meets required standards before it is released for use.

All applications to test on animals must conform with all legal requirements set out in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). This includes applying the principles of the 3Rs: the replacement of animals wherever there is a suitable alternative available; the reduction of the number of animals used to the minimum possible; and the refinement of any techniques to reduce the harm suffered by the animals to the minimum.

Under ASPA, licences are subject to retrospective assessments if they involved procedures expected to cause severe harm to animals. These retrospective assessments must consider whether any lessons can be learned from the programme of work which may contribute to the further implementation of the principles of the 3Rs.

The Government’s Replacing animals in science strategy, published in November 2025 and backed by £75 million, contains measures to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods. These measures, together with continuing regulatory scrutiny and independent advice from the Animals in Science Committee, will support further replacement and refinement of animal procedures.

Under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), licensed establishments are responsible for ensuring the welfare of animals in their care at all times, including during extremes of temperature. All such establishments must comply with ASPA, the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes, and relevant licence conditions. This includes requirements for daily checks of animal welfare and environmental conditions, and for breaches or potential breaches of licence conditions to be reported to the Secretary of State.

In addition to a programme of announced and unannounced inspections, the Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) assesses compliance through reviews of establishment arrangements, and regular engagement with establishments. These arrangements are not limited to routine inspections.

ASRU’s regulatory oversight is informed by a risk assessment of the licensed establishment, including factors such as the species held and the type of work conducted. Where appropriate, ASRU may request updates on operational matters and environmental conditions, including temperature monitoring, to ensure that appropriate standards of animal welfare are maintained.

The Home Office does not hold records as to whether inspections coincided with periods when Government heat-health alerts were in force. Inspection frequency is determined in line with the requirements of ASPA and ASRU’s risk-informed approach.

Under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), licensed establishments are responsible for ensuring the welfare of animals in their care at all times, including during extremes of temperature. All such establishments must comply with ASPA, the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes, and relevant licence conditions. This includes requirements for daily checks of animal welfare and environmental conditions, and for breaches or potential breaches of licence conditions to be reported to the Secretary of State.

In addition to a programme of announced and unannounced inspections, the Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) assesses compliance through reviews of establishment arrangements, and regular engagement with establishments. These arrangements are not limited to routine inspections.

ASRU’s regulatory oversight is informed by a risk assessment of the licensed establishment, including factors such as the species held and the type of work conducted. Where appropriate, ASRU may request updates on operational matters and environmental conditions, including temperature monitoring, to ensure that appropriate standards of animal welfare are maintained.

The Home Office does not hold records as to whether inspections coincided with periods when Government heat-health alerts were in force. Inspection frequency is determined in line with the requirements of ASPA and ASRU’s risk-informed approach.

The Home Office will resume the collection and annual publication of additional statistics relating to animals used in science. The first publication is planned for 2028 and will report on data collected during 2027.

The additional statistics will include:

• The number of non-genetically altered animals bred for scientific procedures that die or are killed without being used in regulated procedures; and
• The number of animals, both genetically altered and non-genetically altered, that are subject to tissue sampling for genotyping purposes.

These statistics will be published alongside the Annual Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals published by the Home Office, which are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-of-scientific-procedures-on-living-animals

This Government is committed to ending puppy farming and the low welfare breeding of dogs. As part of the Animal Welfare Strategy, this Government has committed to launch a consultation on dog breeding reform. Next steps will be announced in due course.

In the Animal Welfare Strategy, we have committed to improve our understanding of the size, scale and current management practices related to cat breeding, drawing on expertise from the sector, and consider any further steps which may improve welfare practices in the cat breeding sector.

Defra officials are already engaging with key animal welfare stakeholders to help address some of the evidence gaps related to the cat breeding sector and will consider the information provided to determine next steps.

The Government remains firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and is aware of the strong public feeling on keeping gamebirds in cages. As stated in the Animal Welfare Strategy, the Government will improve its understanding of the welfare issues on how gamebirds are reared in the gamebird sector through issuing a call for evidence.

As part of delivering the Animal Welfare Strategy, which was published on 22 December 2025, this Government will take steps to improve our understanding of the size, scale and current management practices related to cat breeding. Defra officials are drawing on expertise from the sector and considering any further steps which may improve welfare practices.

As part of delivering the Animal Welfare Strategy, which was published on 22 December 2025, this Government will take steps to improve our understanding of the size, scale and current management practices related to cat breeding. Defra officials are drawing on expertise from the sector and considering any further steps which may improve welfare practices.

The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) provides robust protections for animals, including dogs, bred for use in scientific procedures. Establishments licensed under ASPA must comply with the Act and the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes (www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-for-the-housing-and-care-of-animals-bred-supplied-or-used-for-scientific-purposes) which sets standards for the accommodation, care, monitoring and veterinary oversight of the animals.

Licensed establishments are also required to have key named individuals in place, including veterinary surgeons and animal welfare officers, who are responsible for the health, care and welfare of animals and for advising on their use before and during regulated procedures. Establishments must operate local ethical review processes to provide ongoing oversight of animal welfare, review care and housing arrangements, and ensure that licence conditions are met.

Compliance is assured through a programme of announced and unannounced audits from the Regulator (the Animals in Science Regulation Unit – ASRU). Any instances of non-compliance are taken seriously and addressed in accordance with ASRU’s published compliance policy, which provides for a range of regulatory responses, including enforcement action where appropriate.

In 2025, ASRU implemented organisational reforms to strengthen delivery of its regulatory functions including increasing the size of its inspectorate, further enhancing oversight of animal protections across licensed establishments.

The Government has no current plans to conduct a separate review of licensing conditions for commercial breeders, as these are already set and enforced within this robust regulatory framework.

The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) provides robust protections for animals, including dogs, bred for use in scientific procedures. Establishments licensed under ASPA must comply with the Act and the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes (www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-for-the-housing-and-care-of-animals-bred-supplied-or-used-for-scientific-purposes) which sets standards for the accommodation, care, monitoring and veterinary oversight of the animals.

Licensed establishments are also required to have key named individuals in place, including veterinary surgeons and animal welfare officers, who are responsible for the health, care and welfare of animals and for advising on their use before and during regulated procedures. Establishments must operate local ethical review processes to provide ongoing oversight of animal welfare, review care and housing arrangements, and ensure that licence conditions are met.

Compliance is assured through a programme of announced and unannounced audits from the Regulator (the Animals in Science Regulation Unit – ASRU). Any instances of non-compliance are taken seriously and addressed in accordance with ASRU’s published compliance policy, which provides for a range of regulatory responses, including enforcement action where appropriate.

In 2025, ASRU implemented organisational reforms to strengthen delivery of its regulatory functions including increasing the size of its inspectorate, further enhancing oversight of animal protections across licensed establishments.

The Government has no current plans to conduct a separate review of licensing conditions for commercial breeders, as these are already set and enforced within this robust regulatory framework.