Laboratory Animal Law in United Kingdom

Laboratory Animal Law Contents

The Legal Protection of Animals

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) was
created in June 2001 from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and
from the environmental and countryside business areas of the then Department of
the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 – A(SP)A

According to the book “Laboratory Animal Law: Legal Control of the Use of Animals in Research”, by Kevin Dolan, “the Animals (Scientific
Procedures) Act 1986 [A(SP)A] …  has not changed in the intervening
six years, but the impact of the Home Office (HO) on the administration of the
Act has increased as the years have rolled by since 1986. The influence in practice
of the Inspectorate needs to be more and more taken into consideration if
one is to properly understand the legal control of the use of animals in research
in practice, at the level of the animal facility or in the implementation of the
project licence. (…) Numerous Statutory Instruments, both Orders and Regulations, along with
Directives, Codes of Practice, Guidelines and the Stipulations of Good Laboratory
Practice bearing on animal experimentation could be of interest to many scientists
and technicians dealing with animals and are often very relevant to their particular
area of work. Unfortunately both space and time are limited.”

• The Coming of the Law on Laboratory Animals
• The Protected Animal
• The Regulated Procedure
• Schedule 1 of the A(SP)A
• The Personal Licence
• The Project Licence
• Training of Those with Responsibilities Under the A(SP)A
• Certificates of Designation
• Codes of Practice
• The Re-use of Animals
• Records, Returns and Reports
• Offences, Penalties, Prosecutions and Peripheral Litigation
• Officials and Committees

Other Laboratory Animal Relevant Legislation

• The Law on Veterinary Surgery
• Drugs in Research
• Liability in the Animal Unit
• Ecological Aspects of Animal Legislation
• Regulations Relevant to Animals in Research and the Impact of European Legislation
• Animal Welfare in Law
• Legal Aspects of the Transport of Animals
• Law on the Import and Export of Animals

Resources

See Also

• List of Laboratory Animal Legislation
• Animal Law

Further Reading

• Animal Procedures Committee Cambridge/BUAV (2006) Report of Working Group 2005. APC, London.
• Animal Procedures Committee (2002) Report on Biotechnology. HMSO, London.
• Animal Procedures Committee (2003) Review of Cost-Benefit Assessment in the Use of Animals in Research. APC, London.
• A(SP)A Inspectorate (2004) Annual Report. Home Office, London.
• Method of Assessing the Severity of Common Laboratory Procedures on Rodents. UFAW, Potters Bar
• Brambell, F.W.R. (1965) Report of the Advisory Committee on the Welfare of Farm Animals. HMSO, London.
• Charter on Licensing and Inspection, replacing the Code of Practice for Licensing and Inspection under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act (2000). HMSO, London.
• Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Pigs Intended for use as Xenotransplant Source Animals (1999). HMSO, London.
• Council of Europe (1986) European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and other Scientific Purposes. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. (Obtainable: HMSO).
• Department of Health (1989) Good Laboratory Practice: The UK Compliance Programme. Department of Health, London.
• European Community (1986) Council Directive 86/609/EEC on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions of Member States regarding the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes. OJL.358.
• FELASA (1999) Working party report of the Federation of Laboratory Animal Science Associations working group on education of specialists. Laboratory Animals 3: 1–15.
• GLP Pocket Book (1999) MHRA Publications, 1 Nine Elms Lane, London SW8 5NQ.
• Health and Safety Executive (2002) Control of Laboratory Animal Allergy EH76. HSE Books, Suffolk, https://www.hsebooks.co.uk
• Hills, A. (2005) Do Animals Have Rights? Icon Books, Cambridge.
• Home Office (1987) Supplementary Guidance on Microsurgery Training. Home Office, London.
• Home Office (2000) A Supplementary Note by the Chief Inspector on the Ethical Review Process. Home Office, London.
• Home Office (2001) Inspectorate Review of the ERP. Home Office, London.
• Home Office (2002) Supplementary Guidance on Education and Training PPL Applications.
• Home Office Guidance Notes on GM Animals, Home Office, London.
• International Air Transport Association (IATA) Live Animal Regulations 1998, 25th edn. IATA, Montreal and Geneva.
• Kennedy Committee Report (1997) Report of the Advisory Group on the Ethics of Xenotransplantation. The Stationery Office, London.
• LaFollette, H. & Shanks, N. (1996) Dilemmas of Animal Experimentation. Routledge,
• LASA (2005) ‘Guidance on the Transport of Laboratory Animals’. Laboratory Animals 39: 1–39.
• LAVA (2001) Guidance on the Discharge of Animals from the A(SP)A. Obtainable from Agenda Resource Management, PO Box 24, Hull HU1 28Y.
• Littlewood Committee (1965) Report of the Departmental Committee on Experiments on Animals.
• Lynam, Shevawn (1975) Humanity Dick. A Biography of Richard Martin M.P. 1754–1834. Hamish Hamilton, London.
• McMillan, F.D. (ed) (2004) Mental Health and Well-being in Animals. Blackwell, Oxford.
• Moss, R. (1991) Europe Animal Welfare Concern and Chaos. UFAW, Potters Bar.
• Orlans, B. (1993) In the Name of Science – Issues of Responsible Animal Experimentation. Oxford University Press, New York.
• Phillips, M.T. & Sechzer, J.A. (1989) Animal Research and Ethical Conflict. An Analysis of the Scientific Literature. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
• RCVS (1992) Code of Practice for Named Veterinary Surgeon employed in Scientific Procedure
• Revision of Directive 86/609/EEC, Report of Sub-Group (2003). European Commission.
• RSPCA (1998) Progressing the Ethical Review Process. RSPCA, Horsham.
• Ryder, Richard D. (1975) Victims of Science. Davis-Poynter, London.
• Seamer, J.H. and Wood, M. (eds) (1999) Safety in the Animal House, 2nd edn. Laboratory
• Singer, P. (1992) Applied Ethics. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
• Smyth, D.H. (1978) Alternatives to Animal Experimentation. Scolar Press, Aldershot.
• United Kingdom Coordinating Committee on Cancer Research (UK CCCR) (1988)
• Wilkins, David B. (ed) (1997) Animal Welfare in Europe, European Legislation and Concerns. Kluwer Law International, London.