Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 Flashcards
Regulated Procedures
“a regulated procedure” for the purposes of this Act means any procedure applied to a protected animal for a qualifying purpose which may have the effect of causing the animal a level of pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm equivalent to, or higher than, that caused by the introduction of a needle in accordance with good veterinary practice
A procedure is applied to an animal for “a qualifying purpose” if—
(a) it is applied for an experimental or other scientific purpose (whether or not the outcome of the
procedure is known); or
(b) it is applied for an educational purpose.
Principles of replacement, reduction and refinement
The Secretary of State must exercise his or her functions under this Act with a view to ensuring compliance with the principles of replacement, reduction and refinement.
(2) For the purposes of this Act—
(a) the principle of replacement is the principle that, wherever possible, a scientifically satisfactory
method or testing strategy not entailing the use of protected animals must be used instead of a
regulated procedure;
(b) the principle of reduction is the principle that whenever a programme of work involving the use
of protected animals is carried out the number of protected animals used must be reduced to a
minimum without compromising the objectives of the programme;
(c) the principle of refinement is the principle that the breeding, accommodation and care of
protected animals and the methods used in regulated procedures applied to such animals must be refined so as to eliminate or reduce to the minimum any possible pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm to those animals.
Determining an application: evaluation of the programme of work
the evaluation of a programme of work is favourable only if it verifies—
(a) that carrying out the programme of work is justified from a scientific or educational point of view
or is required by law;
(b) that the purposes of the programme of work justify the use of protected animals; and
(c) that the programme of work is designed so as to enable the regulated procedures applied as part
of it to be applied in the most humane and environmentally sensitive manner possible.
Duty to ensure welfare of animals not adversely affected by revocation or suspension
Where the Secretary of State revokes or suspends a licence under this Act, the Secretary of State must take steps to ensure that the revocation or suspension does not have an adverse effect on the welfare of the protected animals for the time being kept by or on behalf of the holder of the licence.
Re-use of protected animals
A protected animal that has been subjected to one or more regulated procedures must not be used for a further regulated procedure unless the Secretary of State has consented to such further use and the following conditions are met.
the actual severity of the regulated procedure, or each of the regulated procedures, previously
applied to the animal has been classified in accordance with conditions included in a project
licence by virtue of paragraph 23 of Schedule 2C, and
(b) in a case where more than one regulated procedure has previously been applied to the animal, the
actual severity of no more than one of those procedures has been classified as “severe”.
The second condition is that a veterinary surgeon with knowledge of the lifetime experience of the animal has advised that the animal’s general state of health and well-being has been fully restored following the application of the previous procedure or procedures.
(a) the further procedure is to be applied as part of a programme of work specified in a project
licence; and
(b) the likely severity of the further procedure was classified by the Secretary of State under section
5B(3)(c) as “non-recovery”, “mild” or “moderate”.
Killing animals at conclusion of regulated procedures
(1) Where a protected animal—
(a) has been subjected to a series of regulated procedures for a particular purpose; and
(b) at the conclusion of the series is suffering or likely to suffer adverse effects as a result of being
subjected to the series,
the person who applied those procedures, or the last of them, shall ensure that the animal is immediately killed in accordance with section 15A.
(2) Subsection (1) above is without prejudice to any condition of a project licence requiring an animal to be killed at the conclusion of a regulated procedure in circumstances other than those mentioned in that subsection.
Setting free and re-homing protected animals
(1) A person who holds a licence under this Act must not set free a relevant protected animal, or permit any person acting on their behalf to do so, unless—
(a) the Secretary of State has consented to the setting free of the animal; or
(b) the animal is set free during the course of a series of regulated procedures.
The Secretary of State must not consent to the setting free or re-homing of a relevant protected animal unless satisfied—
(a) that the animal’s state of health allows it to be set free or re-homed;
(b) that the setting free or re-homing of the animal poses no danger to public health, animal health or
the environment;
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(c) that there is an adequate scheme in place for ensuring the socialisation of the animal upon being set free or re-homed; and
(d) that other appropriate measures have been taken to safeguard the animal’s wellbeing upon being set free or re-homed.
Sharing of organs and tissues
The Secretary of State must take such steps as he or she considers appropriate to facilitate the establishment of programmes for the sharing of the organs and tissues of killed animals with persons who wish to use the organs and tissues for scientific purposes.
Overdose of an anaesthetic using a route and an anaesthetic agent appropriate for the size and species of animal
All animals
Exposure to carbon dioxide gas in a rising concentration
Birds and Rodents up to 1.5 kg (but not neonatal rodents)
3.Dislocation of the neck (with the prior use of a sedative or anaesthetic in the case of rodents and rabbits over 150 g and birds over 250 g)
Rodents up to 500g Rabbits up to 1kg Birds up to 1kg
.Concussion of the brain by striking the cranium
Rodents and Rabbits up to 1kg
Birds up to 250g
Amphibians and reptiles (with destruction of the brain before the return of consciousness) up to 1kg
Fishes (with destruction of the brain before the return of consciousness)
Destruction of the brain by free bullet using appropriate rifles, guns and ammunition, or
ii) captive bolt or electrical stunning followed by destruction of the brain or exsanguination before return of consciousness
Ungulates
Overdose of an anaesthetic using a route and anaesthetic agent appropriate for the size, stage of development and species of animal
All animals
Refrigeration, or disruption of membranes, or maceration in apparatus approved under appropriate slaughter legislation, or exposure to carbon dioxide in near 100% concentration until they are dead
Birds Reptiles
