James Heappey corrected a written answer on Dstl: Animal Experiments

10 February 2020 · Commons written answer · Ministry of Defence

Cat Smith (Labour, Lancaster and Fleetwood) asked written question 9721 on 29 January 2020. James Heappey answered on 6 February 2020 for the Ministry of Defence, and James Heappey corrected the answer on 10 February 2020. The corrected text adds the figures 2,747, 3,905, which the original did not give. Altogether 34 words differ between the two versions.

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many experiments were conducted on animals by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory on behalf of his Department in each of the last 10 years.

Original and corrected answer

Struck through: original only. Bold: correction only.

Original	Corrected
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) makes has an active programme to reduce and replace animal experiments and in recent years we have developed a number of alternative methods for testing that do not require animals. We will continue to look for alternatives so that we minimise our use of animals. Animal experiments are regulated by the UK Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). Under ASPA, “animal experiments” are referred to as “scientific procedures”. In accordance with ASPA, Dstl makes an annual report of scientific procedures to the Home Office. The numbers of scientific procedures using animals conducted at Dstl Porton Down between 2009 and 2015 have been previously reported to the House as in the table below: Year \| Total 2009 \| 8,452 2010 \| 9,438 2011 \| 9,722 2012 \| 8,830 2013 \| 6,461 2014 \| 4,124 2015 \| 3,249 \| \| \| \|	The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) makes has an active programme to reduce and replace animal experiments and in recent years we have developed a number of alternative methods for testing that do not require animals. We will continue to look for alternatives so that we minimise our use of animals. Animal experiments are regulated by the UK Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). Under ASPA, “animal experiments” are referred to as “scientific procedures”. In accordance with ASPA, Dstl makes an annual report of scientific procedures to the Home Office. The numbers of scientific procedures using animals conducted at Dstl Porton Down between 2009 and 2015 have been previously reported to the House as in the table below: Year \| Total 2009 \| 8,452 2010 \| 9,438 2011 \| 9,722 2012 \| 8,830 2013 \| 6,461 2014 \| 4,124 2015 \| 3,249 For the years 2016 to 2018, the numbers of procedures are in the table below. Data for 2019 will be available later this year. Year \| Total 2016 \| 2,747 2017 \| 3,905 2018 \| 1,941

Original

Corrected

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) makes has an active programme to reduce and replace animal experiments and in recent years we have developed a number of alternative methods for testing that do not require animals. We will continue to look for alternatives so that we minimise our use of animals.
Animal experiments are regulated by the UK Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). Under ASPA, “animal experiments” are referred to as “scientific procedures”. In accordance with ASPA, Dstl makes an annual report of scientific procedures to the Home Office.
The numbers of scientific procedures using animals conducted at Dstl Porton Down between 2009 and 2015 have been previously reported to the House as in the table below:
Year
| Total
2009
| 8,452
2010
| 9,438
2011
| 9,722
2012
| 8,830
2013
| 6,461
2014
| 4,124
2015
| 3,249
|
|
|
|

The question and answer on the Parliament website.

Receipt

Read from	https://questions-statements-api.parliament.uk/api/writtenquestions/questions/1174355?expandMember=true
Date read	15 October 2026
SHA-256	`d90e1ca1595c172744fb64b6c6e66634695cbce67b385456409ee09623605111`