The licensing system under the Animals (Scientific procedures) Act 1986 is demand-led and provides the Home Office, as regulator, with no mechanism for reducing animal use. Instead the Act requires that the procedures authorised must cause the minimum possible suffering to the smallest number of animals of the least sentience. The Act also requires that, before a project licence is issued, we must weigh the benefits to humans, other animals, or the environment against the costs to the animals involved. A licence cannot be granted if the work could be carried out without using animals. The overall amount of animal research which takes place is determined by a number of factors, including the economic climate and global trends in scientific endeavour.
We are, however, fully committed to encouraging the development and use of alternatives to animal experimentation where this is possible. The establishment of the national Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) by the Government in May 2004 and continued contributions to its funding by the Home Office demonstrates our ongoing commitment in this area. The NC3Rs provides the opportunity to co-ordinate and stimulate research and good practice in the 3Rs (reduction, replacement and refinement). It is able to fund high-quality research and facilitate the exchange of information and ideas, the identification of knowledge gaps, and the translation of research findings into practice to benefit both animals and science. The Centre submits an annual report to the Minister for Science and Innovation on its activities and that report is available on their website at www.nc3rs.org.