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The regulation of animal research and testing in the United Kingdom
The British system for regulating the use of animals in experiments is defined by a law passed in 1986 called the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act. The main principle of this law is the requirement for researchers to obtain personal and project licences and a certificate for the establishment where the animal experimentation is conducted.
The legislation covers all vertebrate animals and has recently been extended to include the octopus. Anyone wanting to use any of these animals for a scientific purpose that might cause it distress, suffering or permanent harm must seek the necessary licences before commencing any animal work. There is a general exemption for animals which are humanely killed (using a method specified by the legislation) before being used in any experimentation or other procedure. Most of the normal laboratory species are required to be obtained from breeding or supplying establishments holding a certificate under this Act. Cats and dogs are required to be obtained directly from a certified breeder.
The personal licence lists the techniques the person is permitted to use on animals. Every time the researcher needs to use a new technique, the licence must be amended.
The certificate for the establishment is given to a named person who is legally responsible for ensuring that the Act is properly enforced in the establishment. This person is normally the most senior person in charge or their deputy. They are required to have one named person (usually the chief animal technician) responsible for the care and welfare of the animals on a day-to-day basis. They are also required to have a named veterinary surgeon permanently on call.
A similar certificate is required by any premises breeding or supplying animals for scientific procedures. The standards of animal care and husbandry required in research, breeding and supplying establishments are defined in Codes of Practice published by the Home Office.
The project licence is held by the senior investigator in charge of a particular project or programme of testing. To apply for this licence they have to describe the scientific purpose behind the research project or testing scheme, the numbers and types of animals to be used, the procedures which the animals will go through and what steps have been taken to reduce the number of animals and any distress, suffering or harm involved. Project licences are valid for up to five years. All procedures within a project licences are assigned a severity limit - either mild, moderate or substantial. No animal procedure used under a project licence should exceed the severity limit unless an alteration to the licence has been agreed by the Inspector.
Applications for project licences are submitted to the Home Office which has a team of approximately 20 Inspectors (who must hold medical or veterinary qualifications and have relevant experience or training). These Inspectors will assess the application and may require it to be modified before granting the project licence. Home Office Inspectors pay unannounced visits to research establishments to ensure that researchers comply with their licences. They have the power to modify or suspend licences including, if necessary, the power to immediately suspend the certificate for an entire research establishment, halting all animal work.
Before a person is granted a personal licence, they are required to complete a specified training course normally lasting two or three days. A similar training requirement for all first-time applicants for project licences started in April 1995.
Project licence holders are required to keep detailed records of all animals used which are then reported annually to the Home Office. These annual statistics are published showing the numbers and types of animals used as well as the purposes for which they were used and the type of establishment using them.
A national committee (the Animal Procedures Committee), made up of researchers, veterinarians, doctors, lawyers, philosophers and animal welfarists advises the government about matters concerning the Act. This committee can decide which subjects it will study. It reviews all project licence applications in certain categories (cosmetic testing, tobacco research, etc) and has the power to see any other project licence application.
Although the UK system is complex and considered by some to be too bureaucratic, it is generally accepted by UK researchers as a fair and sensible system. There are some concerns that the Home Office requires too much detail in the project licence application. Since it is very difficult to predict the way that a fundamental research project will develop, researchers may need to submit several requests to vary the project licence to the Home Office which can delay the progress of the research.