Dear constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about animal testing.
As you mention, the new Government has promised to phase out animal testing. Ministers have advised that the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT), the Home Office and DEFRA are engaging with stakeholders to create a strategy for this, and said a roadmap detailing how they intend to accelerate the development and validation of alternative methods, will be published this year.
Animal research in the UK is regulated by the Home Office under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. This legislation prohibits animal testing if a viable non-animal method exists, ensuring that animals are only used when absolutely necessary.
I welcome that the UK is one of the world's leading nations in the development of non-animal methods. It is important that these methods are utilised wherever is possible, and I will support work which aims to accelerate the point at which animal research and testing is no longer necessary, having been fully replaced by effective alternatives. Sadly, however, technology is not yet at a point to wholly replace animal testing for important applications tackling some of the most significant human health conditions.
Although it is vital that we continue to develop effective alternatives to animal testing, I also recognise that achieving this within the timeframe proposed by campaigners presents significant challenges.
That is why the approach has been to support and accelerate advances in biomedical science and technology to reduce reliance on the use of animals in research. To achieve this, funding has been used to support the development and dissemination of the three Rs which aim to replace the use of animals not necessary for research; to reduce the use of animals in the meantime; and to refine to eliminate or reduce distress to those animals already involved.
This is primarily delivered through the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (the NC3Rs) and since its establishment it has invested £89.3 million in research and £27 million in contracts through its CRACK IT Challenges innovation scheme for UK and EU based institutions, with that funding mainly focused on approaches for safer assessment of pharmaceuticals. It was most welcome that, in February 2024, the previous Conservative Minister responsible announced that investment to the NC3Rs was to double from £10 million per year to £20 million per year. I hope that the new Government will sustain this level of funding.
The former Conservative Government banned cosmetic testing on animals. I understand that, since the ban in 2023, no animal testing is being conducted, nor will any testing be authorised, of chemicals that are exclusively intended to be used in cosmetics products. Thanks to more changes made by the previous Government the Home Office licences programmes of work using animals in science, including testing to satisfy regulatory requirements set out in legislation. Establishments must only conduct work for limited permissible purposes, according to the terms of their licences, which the Home Office assures through audit and inspection processes.
Certain animals, including dogs, cats, horses, and primates, also receive additional protections under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, requiring government approval before they can be used in research.
The Home Office publishes annual data on scientific procedures involving animals, with the latest report released in September 2024. In 2023, the number of procedures involving living animals decreased by 3%, reaching its lowest level since 2001. Most procedures (95%) involved mice, fish, birds, or rats.
Specially protected species accounted for 1.2% of experimental procedures in 2023. The use of dogs in experiments declined by 9%, with 3,749 procedures recorded, the lowest number since 2017, with 69% carried out for regulatory purposes.
It is vital that this Government continues this work and investing in research focused on the 3Rs and I look forward to reviewing the Government’s strategy on this once it is published.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Sincerely,
Richard Fuller MP