UK bioscience sector submission to the Home Office

Home Office submissionThe UK bioscience sector prepared, in July2009, a response to the call for evidence from the Home Office. The Home Office is the government department that administers regulation of animal research under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

The response encompasses the views of 12 organisations, representing academia, industry, SMEs, charities and other research funders in the United Kingdom, all of which will be directly affected by the revision of Directive 86/609.

Organisations supporting this submission:

Association of Medical Research Charities
BioIndustry Association
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Institute of Animal Technology
Laboratory Animals Breeders Association
Laboratory Animal Science Association
Medical Research Council
Society of Biology (Biosciences Federation and Institute of Biology until 1 September 2009)
The Academy of Medical Sciences
The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry
Understanding Animal Research
Wellcome Trust

The Home Office consultation follows that by a House of Lords Committee, which has taken written and oral evidence from interested parties. Both consultations follow publication of the original Commission proposal in November 2008, and the plenary vote which finalised the first reading in the European Parliament in May 2009. At this time the Commission accepted a minority of the Parliament’s amendments but did not support many that are crucial to continued biomedical research using animals in Europe.

The position of the UK Government when engaging in the first reading with the Council of the European Union is of considerable significance. The full submission to the Home Office may be downloaded here.

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