Animal Experiments

(asked on 14th July 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the strategies of (a) his Department and (b) the Health and Safety Executive to increase the number of commercial service providers or research laboratories skilled in New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) data interpretation to deliver the Government’s commitment to reduce and replace animal testing for UK REACH.


Answered by
Rebecca Pow Portrait
Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This question was answered on 19th July 2021

UK REACH sets out what information is needed to satisfy each hazard endpoint. This includes specifying in some, but not all cases, what studies are required, including non-animal methods where they are available. New test methods will be included through amendments to the Test Methods Regulation after development and validation through the OECD. The responsibility then lies on registrants to commission any studies they need to fulfil their UK REACH information requirements, following Good Laboratory Practice.

The responsibility to reduce and replace animal testing with alternative methods, including New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), lies with industry (within the confines of the appropriate legislation). We would anticipate that commercial service providers will develop and expand their services accordingly, as and when demand for these methods increases. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has an active role with a number of organisations to advise, influence and support those looking to develop and apply these alternative methods. Where animal studies are unavoidable the Home Office is responsible for licensing testing houses and individual procedures.

HSE regulatory scientists, including toxicologists, are actively involved in monitoring and influencing the development of NAMs at both the domestic and international level which involves discussions and engagement with external experts in this field. HSE has recently appointed several independent experts who are familiar with NAMs to its UK REACH Independent Scientific Expert Pool to provide independent expert advice on the safety and regulation of chemicals and support its scientific opinions.

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