Government Response

The Government responded to this petition on Monday 20th May 2019

The Secretary of state is unable to use his powers to revoke planning permission for the dog breeding facility at the Field Station in Grimston, Hull as the facility is built and operational.

Ministers are required to assess planning applications against relevant legislation and local and national planning policy, and to decide whether to grant permission based on the planning merits of individual cases.

The reasons for the Secretary of State’s decision to grant planning permission for this development are fully explained in his decision letter. The letter and associated Inspector’s Report can be viewed at https://www.gov.uk/planning-applications-called-in-decisions-and-recovered-appeals.

The Government has a strong commitment to maintaining a rigorous regulatory system under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). Guidance on the operation of ASPA can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/guidance-on-the-operation-of-the-animals-scientific-procedures-act-1986#guidance-on-the-operation-of-aspa.

The regulatory system ensures that animal research and testing is carried out only where no practicable alternative exists, and under controls which keep suffering to the minimum. This is achieved through robustly applying the principles of the 3Rs which require that, in every research proposal, animals are replaced with non-animal alternatives wherever possible; that the number of animals used is reduced to the minimum needed to achieve the results sought; and that, for those animals which must be used, procedures are refined as much as possible to minimise their suffering.

The Government only authorises procedures on animals after a rigorous assessment process, which is undertaken by the Home Office Inspectorate. The cornerstone of the assessment process is the harm benefit analysis. As part of the project licence application process, applicants are required to describe what steps they have taken to research non-animal alternative methodologies and why the use of animals is required to achieve their scientific objectives. Applicants are required to ensure that their specified programme of work does not involve the application of any regulated procedure to which there is a scientifically satisfactory alternative method or testing strategy not entailing the use of a protected animal. For every project licence granted there is a mandatory requirement to publish a Non-Technical Summary which sets out how the 3Rs have been considered: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/research-and-testing-using-animals#non-technical-summaries. Once a licence is granted, establishments are regularly inspected by Home Office inspectors for compliance with their licence and the legislation.

All establishments that use, breed or supply animals in scientific procedures must adhere to the rigorous UK framework under ASPA. The requirements are set out in the Guidance on the Operation of ASPA published by the Home Office: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/guidance-on-the-operation-of-the-animals-scientific-procedures-act-1986.

Dogs are a specially protected species under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The Home Office will only grant a project licence for a programme of work using dogs where the purpose of the programme of work specified in the licence can only be achieved by their use, or where it is not practicable to obtain other suitable animals. In 2017 (the latest year for which official figures are published) procedures on dogs accounted for less than 0.1% of total number of procedures carried out.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.