ASC to improve public communication on animal testing, after we highlight failings
The UK Home Office is taking a significant step towards higher quality and more transparent project licence applications relating to the use of animals in scientific experiments.
Following work by our science team, including two influential papers on the need for improvements (published on ALTEX and the PubMed library), the UK government’s Animals in Science Committee (ASC) has been asked by the Home Office to provide advice on how to enhance the quality and transparency of the Non-Technical Summaries (NTS).
These documents, required by UK law under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), must accompany all project licence applications for the use of animals in science in the UK. An equivalent requirement is also in place in the European Union. They aim to provide the public with clear, accessible information about the procedures involved and the potential harms to animals.
However, research by Cruelty Free International, and others, has shown that these documents often fail to meet legal requirements relating to transparency.
The failings identified include the use of overly technical language which is difficult for the general public to understand; a lack of detail in the explanation of the procedures animals will undergo; and insufficient information about the severity of harms and suffering expected. In particular, NTS frequently fail to fully describe the nature and duration of pain, distress, and other adverse effects animals could experience during experiments.
In response to these findings, as well as other identified concerns, the Home Office commissioned the ASC to provide advice on how to improve the quality of NTS and thus ensure better public understanding of how animals are being used in laboratories across the UK.
The ASC is expected to deliver their recommendations by September 2025.
As well helping to meet a legal requirement, recent polls show that 65% of the UK public want to see an end to animal tests, therefore underscoring the growing demand for more ethical alternatives, stricter regulations and better reporting practices.
Our Director of Science and Regulatory Affairs, Dr Emma Grange, said: “We are pleased that the Home Office is taking steps to improve the quality of these key summaries. This will allow the public to better understand the nature and impact of all kinds of experiments performed on animals, including tests linked to everyday consumer products. Transparency is key to holding those who conduct, or permit, animal research to account, and is vital for ensuring the public is well-informed about what occurs inside laboratories in the UK."
“Ultimately, by further revealing the extent and scale of suffering of animals, measures to improve transparency will underscore the need to phase-out animal testing entirely and stimulate the development and use of humane, non-animal science.”