UK government strengthens animal research reform as Animals in Science Committee updates working protocol in London

The way ministers get expert advice about animals used in science is changing. The Animals in Science Committee, better known as the ASC, has refreshed its internal rulebook with a new “Ways of Working” and updated Working Protocol, replacing its previous Code of Practice.

On paper, that might sound procedural. In reality, it marks a shift in how different parts of government talk to each other about one of the most sensitive areas in research policy — animal testing.

The update follows the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s strategy titled Replacing animals in science, which laid out a clearer ambition to speed up the development and adoption of alternatives to animal experiments. One of its pledges was to formally involve DSIT in directly commissioning advice from the ASC. That commitment is now being put into practice.

A new direct line between DSIT and the ASC

Under the new model, DSIT will be able to commission advice directly from the Animals in Science Committee, subject to agreement from the Home Office. Previously, the structure was more layered, with advice routed through established channels under older protocols.

The aim is to remove friction. Instead of lengthy back-and-forths or overlapping requests, the new commissioning mechanism is designed to be clearer and faster. It gives DSIT the formal ability to seek expert guidance as it works on validating and scaling non-animal research methods.

In practical terms, this matters because DSIT is responsible for driving innovation and scientific development across government. If the UK wants to become a leader in alternative methods — such as organ-on-a-chip systems, advanced computer modelling, or human cell-based assays — policymakers need technical input quickly and reliably.

Ministers frame it as reform and acceleration

Home Office Minister Lord Hanson described the changes as a way to modernise how government draws on scientific expertise. By cutting unnecessary bureaucracy, he suggested, ministers will get clearer and quicker evidence to support long-term reform.

Lord Vallance, speaking for DSIT, tied the changes directly to the broader political goal of reducing animal testing wherever possible. He stressed that replacing animal use must be done safely and effectively — a reminder that regulatory science often moves carefully for good reason.

There’s a balancing act here. On one hand, there’s public and political pressure to phase out animal testing. On the other, regulators must ensure that alternative methods are scientifically validated and robust enough to protect human health and safety. The new commissioning pathway is intended to help navigate that tension more efficiently.

What the Animals in Science Committee actually does

The ASC is not a campaigning body. It’s an independent public body sponsored by the Home Office, and it advises on issues related to the use of animals in scientific procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 — often referred to as ASPA.

ASPA is one of the strictest regulatory frameworks for animal research in the world. It operates around the principles of the “3Rs” — Replacement, Reduction and Refinement — first articulated in 1959 by Russell and Burch. Those principles require researchers to replace animals with alternatives wherever possible, reduce the number of animals used, and refine procedures to minimise suffering.

The ASC’s role includes advising on ethical, scientific and technical aspects of animal use. With the new strategy in place, its remit becomes more closely linked to actively supporting the shift toward validated alternatives.

Dr Sally Robinson, Chair of the ASC, welcomed the new arrangement, saying it would allow government to access independent advice more effectively as it moves toward greater use of non-animal methods.

The wider context of replacing animal testing

The UK has been signalling for several years that it wants to lead globally in alternative research methods. Advances in biotechnology have made this ambition more realistic than it once seemed.

Lab-grown human tissues, high-throughput screening technologies, artificial intelligence modelling and complex in vitro systems are increasingly being used in toxicology, drug discovery and disease research. Regulators in the United States and European Union are also exploring pathways to accept non-animal data in certain contexts.

However, experts caution that full replacement across all scientific domains is not immediately feasible. Some areas of biomedical research, particularly involving complex whole-body systems, still rely heavily on animal models. That’s why validation — the rigorous scientific confirmation that an alternative method is reliable — remains central.

The updated way of working is meant to strengthen that validation pipeline by ensuring that policy decisions are backed by expert scientific input from the outset.

Cross-government cooperation as the new focus

What stands out in this reform is the emphasis on cross-government coordination. Animal research policy touches multiple departments: the Home Office regulates it, DSIT promotes innovation, and other departments — such as Health and Environment — rely on scientific outputs shaped by these decisions.

By giving DSIT a formal route to commission advice directly, the government is attempting to reduce duplication and improve alignment. In theory, this should make it easier to track progress against the strategy’s goals and measure whether alternatives are being adopted in practice.

It also reflects a broader trend in UK governance: breaking down silos between departments to tackle complex, science-heavy policy areas.

What’s next?

The immediate next step is implementation. The new commissioning mechanism now exists on paper, but its effectiveness will depend on how quickly departments use it and how responsive the advisory process proves to be.

Over the coming months, attention is likely to focus on:

• How many direct commissions DSIT makes to the ASC

• Whether alternative methods move more quickly from development to regulatory acceptance

• How progress toward reducing animal use is measured and reported

There may also be scrutiny from research institutions, animal welfare groups and industry stakeholders, all of whom have strong views on how fast — or cautiously — change should happen.

If the model works, it could become a template for other policy areas where scientific advice must move at pace. If it falters, calls for deeper reform of the regulatory system could follow.

For now, the message from government is clear: the ambition to replace animals in science hasn’t gone away — and the machinery behind it has just been retooled to move faster.

Summary

The Animals in Science Committee has introduced a new “Ways of Working” and updated protocol that allows the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to directly commission independent advice for the first time, with Home Office agreement.

The reform follows the government’s strategy to replace animals in scientific research wherever safe and effective alternatives exist.

Ministers say the changes will reduce bureaucracy, speed up access to expert guidance, and strengthen cross-government coordination as the UK works toward phasing out animal testing under the framework of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.