Committee publication · Correspondence · 13 January 2026
Correspondence from Michael Seals, Chair of the Animal Sentience Committee, regarding their stance on the recent policy paper: Replacing animals in science, dated 18 December 2025
From: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Animal and plant health
Summary
Michael Seals, Chair of the Animal Sentience Committee, writes to advise Parliament on the Committee's initial assessment of the government's December 2025 policy paper on replacing animals in science. The Committee welcomes the strategy's vision to eliminate animal use except in exceptional circumstances, but identifies seven priority areas—including KPI development, monitoring mechanisms, and defining 'exceptional circumstances'—requiring further engagement with policy teams to ensure animal welfare is adequately considered throughout implementation.
Key findings
- Animal Sentience Committee welcomes the government's long-term vision to replace animals in science in all but 'exceptional circumstances', viewing it as forward-looking with significant welfare benefits.
- Committee identifies need for careful attention to KPI design to ensure metrics most relevant to animal welfare are included in assessing strategy delivery.
- Committee seeks clarification on what constitutes 'exceptional circumstances' and monitoring mechanisms to prevent licensing of animal procedures where alternatives exist.
- Committee emphasises importance of focusing replacement efforts on procedures using greatest numbers of animals and causing most severe harms.
- Committee plans to extend invitations to relevant policy teams for ongoing engagement and will report on whether due regard to animal welfare has been paid as strategy commitments are developed.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Michael Seals, Animal Sentience Committee, Alistair Carmichael, Professor Christine Nicol, Professor Richard Bennett, Dr Penny Hawkins, Richard Cooper, UK Government
Notable line
“The overriding goal is to create a research and innovation system that uses alternative methods instead of animals in all but 'exceptional circumstances'.”
Key Quotes
“The ASC strongly welcomes the strategy, especially its aspiration to replace the use of animals in science in all but 'exceptional circumstances'.”
“However, the processes required to achieve this vision in practice will be complex and require considered approaches.”
“As is our remit, we will be reporting on whether due regard has been paid to animal welfare in specific policy areas.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗