The Home Office responds to recommendations on use of animals for science
Recommendations from the Animals in Science Committee (ASC) on strengthening practice have been broadly accepted by the Home Office. The committee’s February 2026 report – Strengthening leading practice in the animals in science sector – made 11 recommendations; for the government, Home Office minister Lord Hanson of Flint has accepted seven in full, three in principle, and one in part.
Overall, the department commits to strengthening expectations for research establishments’ application and oversight of the 3Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement), to develop a “structured framework” for assessing emerging practice, and to commission further work in line with committee recommendations.
Since the report was published earlier this year, the committee has also set out proposals for establishing a separate Alternative Methods Expert Committee (AMEC), following a commission from DSIT. Labour’s 2024 election manifesto, and a subsequent Replacing Animals in Science Strategy, committed to “work towards the phasing out of animal testing.” The committee’s review found that the adoption of alternative methods “remains slow” and that fragmentation between organisations acted as a barrier to progress.
The recommendations which the government has accepted in full include a commission on what leading practice in replacement looks like – the Home Office says it will do so by the first half of 2027, and that both AMC and AMEC will have roles – and for the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) to develop a set of criteria to enable organisations to “determine when the evidence base for an emerging practice is sufficiently strong to be considered ready for broader implementation, leading to it becoming the expected standard.”
AMC also recommended that the government consider how funding schemes could support the development of best practice, another proposal which is accepted in full by the Home Office:
“The Government recognises the importance of funding in developing emerging practices and building the evidence base. Led by UKRI, and in partnership with BIST, further work will be undertaken through 2027 to consider how the research ecosystem can continue to support and promote leading practice across the 3Rs through existing strategic and funding processes.”
A recommendation for those involved in frontline animal research to have met minimum CPD requirements related to the 3Rs, and another for animal research licence holders to demonstrate how they implement the 3Rs, are both accepted in principle, subject to further policy or operational consideration.
For CPD, the Home Office says that a uniform set of minimum requirements would not reflect the differing roles, scientific contexts and associated training needs across establishments, and it prefers an approach based on assurance that “effective, tailored training measures” are in place.