Defra has published the Animal Sentience Committee’s letter to the House of Commons EFRA Committee setting out initial views on the policy paper ‘Replacing animals in science’. The letter was sent on 18 December 2025 and published on GOV.UK on 20 January 2026; the strategy itself was issued on 11 November 2025. (gov.uk)
In the two‑page correspondence, the Committee supports the long‑term aim to replace animal use in all but “exceptional circumstances”, while noting that delivery will be complex. It plans to invite relevant policy teams to explain how commitments will be developed and says it will report on whether departments show “due regard” to animal welfare as the programme moves into implementation. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
Initial scrutiny will look at how government builds out the strategy’s categorisation of tests and models and addresses cultural barriers so organisations can manage change. The Committee highlights the need to expand and clarify the list of areas where no suitable non‑animal method currently exists-the category it refers to as “basket 3”. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
The letter also emphasises measurement and enforcement. ASC seeks clear KPIs designed with the right stakeholders, active monitoring of phase‑out progress, and licensing decisions that do not proceed where a non‑animal method exists or where animal use cannot be justified. It further calls for equal attention to fundamental academic research, a focus on high‑volume or high‑severity procedures, a definition of “exceptional circumstances”, and credible signals on private investment. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
The strategy groups animal tests into three baskets to target resources: tests ready for rapid transition to non‑animal methods, tests that need further development, and tests where alternatives are not yet available, with movement expected as methods mature. This framework explains the Committee’s interest in clearly defining what sits in the third group. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
Delivery architecture is material. Government has committed to create a UK Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods by end‑2026 and a preclinical translational models hub supported by £30 million on a similar timetable. Ministers will also form a cross‑government committee in 2026 and, for this agenda, DSIT will join the Home Office in commissioning ASC advice. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
For licence holders and AWERBs, the strategy signals operational change: ASRU’s regulatory reform programme, ASC advice on leading practice and corporate responsibility reporting, expanded statistics on breeding of genetically altered animals, and full implementation of the Rawle recommendations by end‑2026. These measures are likely to shape project approvals and assurance processes. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
For regulators and industry, 2026 will bring a published list of alternative methods acceptable to UK agencies as data sources, plus a biennial set of regulatory priorities to guide investment. The plan also sets out training and secondments to build assessor capability and mechanisms for pre‑submission advice on non‑animal approaches. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
Milestones to watch in 2026 include publication of KPIs with a public dashboard, the restart of the public attitudes survey on a two‑year cycle, and the start‑up of the ministerial and delivery groups in the first half of the year-tests that align closely with the Committee’s focus on measurement and transparency. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
Taken together, the letter signals that scrutiny will track practical delivery and measurable welfare outcomes. Institutions across academia, CROs and industry should expect tighter justification where non‑animal methods exist and more transparent reporting against 2026 benchmarks as accepted methods, priorities and performance data begin to be published. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)