| Laboratory Animals

Using animals in experiments is a controversial issue and it remains the case that there is disagreement over whether experiments on animals are necessary or whether they are alternatives. In the UK, the use of animals in experiments is regulated by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, which is administered by the Home Office. Under this law, all breeding and use of animals has to be carried out in licenced premises, the research itself has to be set out in detail in a project licence which is submitted to the Home Office for authorisation, and the people carrying out the research also have to be licenced.

Key Issues

The Government focuses on the 3Rs -reduction, refinement and replacement. It should be ensured that, as far as is reasonably practicable, that no alternative to the use of animals is possible, that the number of animals used is minimised and that procedures, care routines and husbandry are refined to maximise welfare. Post Brexit there has been a call for the Government to be more a leader in the field and to set a vision to phase out the use of animals in science as has been the case in the EU.

The EU has not set a roadmap as to how it will phase out animal testing. APGAW has a sub-group on Animals in Science to consider the challenge to phase out animal experimentation and to look at setting a roadmap to at least taking us towards this goal through the elimination of severe suffering and second species toxicity testing and ensuring transparency over the use of animals in scientific procedures.