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Information on the number of animals used for scientific procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 are reported annually to the UK Home Office. They form part of the national statistics which the Home Office publishes each year.

St George’s has additionally published the species and number of each species used at the university on our website since 2013, and will continue to disclose the five most recent reporting years’ data in the future. From 2019 onwards, we will aim to provide a more detailed degree of information in our reports. This is occasionally the basis of freedom of information (FOI) requests, to which the university publishes responses online.

Annual statistics

Animals used for procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, by year.

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2013

Mice: 4,608
Rats: 551
Rabbits: 96
Guinea pigs: 9
Pigs: 6
___________
Total: 5,270

2014

Mice: 5,087
Rats: 501
Rabbits: 92
Pigs: 3
Fish: 217
___________
Total: 5,900

2015

Mice: 4,735
Rats: 414
Rabbits: 84
Fish: 1,980
___________
Total: 7,213

2016

Mice: 2,982
Rats: 82
Fish: 3,034
___________
Total: 6,098

2017

Mice: 2,356
Rats: 48
Fish: 328
___________
Total: 2,732

These additional statistics are outside the remit of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) reported animals.

Animals bred for scientific purposes other than for ASPA-specified procedures

Mice: 178
Rats: 410
Fish: 35
___________
Total: 623

Tissue sampling for purpose of genotyping

Mice: 408
Fish: 64
___________
Total: 472

2018

For 2017, the Home Office required additional data collection which relates to the EU Directive 2010/63, commencing in 2017 and to be followed every 5th year.

Mice: 1,651

Rats: 5

Fish: 1441

_____________

Total: 3,097

2019

Mice: 1,472

Fish: 1,548

_____________

Total: 3,020

2020

Mice: 1,512

Rats: 252

Fish: 814

_____________

Total: 2,578

2021

Our BRF was closed for refurbishment during 2021, and some projects were transferred to other Establishments.  The number of animals used over the year by those projects will be published by their host institutions.  The following are the numbers used at SGUL only:

Mice: 1,065

Rats: 14

_____________

Total: 1,079

The great majority were subject to only sub-threshold or mild procedures.

2022
Our BRF remains closed. There were no animals used for scientific procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 at St George's, University of London premises.
2023
Our BRF remained closed during 2023. There were no animals used for scientific procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 at St George's, University of London premises.

 

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