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Animal Testing
28 January 2026
Lead MP
Michael Wheeler
Worsley and Eccles
Lab
Responding Minister
Sarah Jones
Tags
Economy
Word Count: 3081
Other Contributors: 4
At a Glance
Michael Wheeler raised concerns about animal testing in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The MP calls for robust enforcement of existing regulations and an increase in inspections to ensure that issues can be identified and addressed properly. He also highlights the need for non-animal alternatives wherever scientifically possible, as per the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
The debate highlights more than 5 million animals approved for use in experiments, with individual cases including primates subjected to invasive brain surgery. In 2024 alone, there were 146 recorded cases of non-compliance involving over 22,000 animals, resulting in at least 542 animal deaths or euthanisations due to failures in compliance and basic standards.
Brian Leishman
Lab
Alloa and Grangemouth
Paid tribute to Michael Wheeler, agreeing that introducing Herbie’s law without delay is necessary to fulfil the manifesto commitment.
Irene Campbell
Lab
North Ayrshire and Arran
She agrees with her hon. Friend that incidents of non-compliance involving animal suffering are unacceptable, and calls for stricter measures to prevent such occurrences in the future. Asked about timelines in the Government's strategy and emphasised the need for a clear road map to phase out animal testing. Supported the push for Herbie’s law.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
He commends the hon. Gentleman for bringing forward harrowing stories and agrees that non-compliance is best detected through inspections, advocating for more focus on inspection rates to ensure issues are addressed.
Steve Race
Lab
Exeter
He supports his hon. Friend's call for enforcement of current regulations and suggests moving further than the Government’s “Replacing animals in science” strategy by enforcing compliance across the sector, as with Herbie’s law.
Government Response
Sarah Jones
The Minister for Policing and Crime
Government Response
Acknowledged the importance of phasing out animal testing and welcomed the call for faster timelines. Emphasised that replacements must continue to protect public health and safety, noting the ongoing work by the regulator under Home Office oversight. I thank colleagues again for raising this issue. We have a strict and rigorous licensing regime, which I am partly responsible for, both for the 100-odd companies that are able to test on animals and the 13,000 individuals who have a licence to use animals in testing. The regulator is going through reform and has had its functions beefed up over the last year. We have an ambition as a Government to end the use of animals in science, but, as a Minister, I will always commit to push for more and will always listen to my colleagues for advice.
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Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.