Our analysis shows that new PM has opportunity to seize initiative but can’t afford to delay
We are urging the UK’s new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, and his incoming Ministers to speed up the work to phase out animal testing laid out in the government’s ‘Replacing Animals in Science’ strategy.
The strategy, published in November 2025, contained several commitments and deadlines to be met before the end of 2026, but our recent analysis shows that key commitments are in danger of missing their deadline. There has so far been limited evidence of the system-wide change necessary to significantly reduce the number of animals used in Great Britain.
In particular, we urge the incoming government to demonstrate renewed commitment to implementing the strategy by providing clear, funded plans, including accelerating the uptake of non-animal methods, setting measurable targets, reducing animal use, and increasing transparency and accountability.
Whilst we recognise that it is not possible or fair to draw final conclusions after just eight months, it is clear that progress so far has been minimal and fragmented.
We recently reviewed the government’s progress in implementing the strategy, and have published the findings in a report named ‘From Promise to Proof’.
The strategy’s objectives are a significant undertaking and imply a long-term approach, but the first year, in which early wins are secured and the foundations laid, is vital to the success of any strategy. Our review assesses whether the government is delivering on the timelines and expectations set by the strategy.
The 2026 commitments that we believe are on track are:
- £30 million funding for the UK Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (UKCVAM) — proposals for the Centre, and how it will be run, are being developed by the Office for Life Sciences (OLS)
- Restart the survey on public attitudes to animal research – the government is advertising for a market research company to manage this task
- Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to work more closely on non-animal testing methods with the government’s Animals in Science Committee – the OLS, which was managed by the now disbanded DSIT, has been working directly with the ASC in a promising, if limited, sign of cross-departmental collaboration
Key areas showing early movement, but where the impact is too early to tell:
- Increase investment in alternative methods – we are yet to see the main commitment of £75m in departmental plans or budgets, but the £2m funding for ’industrial human-relevant drug models’ indicated genuine progress. We await evidence of the impact of this funding
- Ministerial leadership on alternative methods – a named Minister and confirmed meetings of a cross departmental Ministerial group were positive signs. However, with a shakeup in relevant government departments and the resignation of key Ministers, we now, more than ever, need to see renewed political leadership, transparency, accountability, and clear updates on progress.
- Increase uptake of alternative methods through reform of animals in science regulation – despite some signs of progress, there is limited evidence of a comprehensive and transparent implementation of the recommendations of the 2023 Rawle Report, which should be the basis for genuine reform of the regulatory system or the use of animals in science.
2026 commitments that have little or no publicly available evidence of progress, and are therefore considered to be behind schedule:
- Creation of a national programme for extra training of regulatory assessors
- Increased scrutiny of the justifications for animal research in funding applications
- Training in non-animal methods for researchers at the start of their careers
These are areas for significant concern, as all are critical to the changes needed to address the cultural and behavioural hurdles that continue to exist. It contributes substantially to the lack of replacement of animal tests even when there is a clearly identified and scientifically robust alternative, as identified in our Replace Animal Tests (RAT) list.
We also found that the government’s engagement with experts on non-animal testing is poor, creating a clear risk for effective delivery. The remaining commitments are either partially progressed, or it is simply too early to tell.
To support the new government in achieving the clear manifesto commitment to phase out animal testing and deliver the objectives of the strategy, we are asking for:
- Clarification of ministerial responsibility and a renewed statement of political leadership
- A focus on moving non-animal methods from development to routine use
- Clear delivery plans, with targets and milestones that are regularly analysed
- Proof of long-term funding
- Plans to train researchers, regulators and decision-makers in non-animal testing
- Engagement with civil society, including animal protection NGOs, to make use of all available expertise in human-relevant science
- Explanations of how current activity will reduce the use of animal
Encouragingly, our report is already having an impact in Parliament. We brought together MPs from several parties to explore its findings and discuss the future of the phase out of animal testing in the UK. The conversation reinforced the clear message that there is strong cross-party political support for turning ambition into action. MP’s have welcomed the report’s findings and are actively working to ensure that delivery and implementation of the government’s commitments remain firmly on the political agenda.
Home Office statistics, published earlier this month, show that there were 2.54 million uses of animals in science in 2025 – a meagre fall of 4%. This glacial rate of progress continues to show that rapid implementation of the strategy and, to be even more ambitious where possible, is essential to achieve significant reductions and bring about the end of animal testing that the British public want.
Our Director of Science and Regulatory Affairs, Dr Emma Grange said: “We know that the new Prime Minister will have a lot to do in his first weeks and months in office, but if he is eager for his government to show genuine, rapid progress, this strategy provides a great opportunity. We need to see that changes across government do not come at the cost of real evidence that commitments, targets and deadlines are being met. Much of the patchy activity to date has rightly focused on building the foundations of a system in which non-animal approaches can succeed. The next phase must build on this to emphasise the replacement and phase-out of animal tests.
“There are some positive early signs, but in several critical areas, such as skills, training, research scrutiny and external engagement, there is little evidence of progress. The government has not yet made use of all of the expertise available to it, which risks an insular approach and limits Ministers’ ability to anticipate challenges in delivering the strategy. The new leadership of this country must work across government, science, industry, and with international partners, to deliver lasting change. We remain ready and available to work with the government to ensure that the suffering of millions of animals in laboratories in the UK ends.”
Image credits: (c) House of Commons
