PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
(3 September 2026)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many project licenses and service licenses currently in force authorise the use of dogs in scientific procedures; and how many dogs are authorised under each license.

Asked by:
Mr Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat)

There are currently 32 active project licences which authorise the use of dogs in scientific procedures. Across all projects the maximum number of animals authorised for use is 31,816. Of the 32 licences, there are 23 licences carrying out ‘service’ type activities, with a maximum of 29,589 animals authorised for use.

A better indication of the scale of actual use is provided by the annual accredited official statistics. In 2025, 2,889 procedures involving dogs were carried out in Great Britain. Although this was an increase of around 9% on 2024, it was approximately one third lower than the 4,340 procedures recorded in 2020. The five-year trend is therefore downward overall, despite year-to-year variation. This annual evidence is a more meaningful guide to likely use than the authorised maximum.

All activities authorised under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 are subject to a rigorous licensing process. Before a licence can be granted, applicants must demonstrate that the expected benefits justify the potential harms to the animals involved, and the principles of Replacement, Reduction and Refinement (the 3Rs) have been fully applied. This means that harms to animals must be minimised and the work cannot legally be authorised if there is a scientifically satisfactory alternative to the use of animals.

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