Current activities

Revision of European Directive 2010/63/EU on the Protection of Animals Used in Scientific Research

The ASG has been working both independently and alongside the UK Bioscience Sector Coalition on how the Directive 2010/63/EU will be transposed into UK law. We are now well into the 24-month period, follwing the Directive's ratification, during which all discussions on incorporation into UK legislation and the enactment of these decisions, must be completed (January 2013). The first major discussion has been the consultation on transposition options issued by the Home Office, and the ASG has debated the options and supports the consultation response of the Coalition.

In addition we have written to the Home Office expressing our overarching aims that animal welfare, the 3Rs, public confidence and high quality biology should be supported by the new legal framework.

The ASG is working closely with the Home Office on the transposition of the Directive and will hold a discussion meeting in November to explore the early developments following the consultation process, among other relevant topics.

Better regulation
Clive Page represents the Society of Biology and the academic community on the Better Regulation ‘Steering Group’ set up by the Better Regulation Executive and the Home Office. The ASG has provided evidence to the review of ASPD (Animal Scientific Procedures Division)/ASPI (Animal Scientific Procedures
Inspectorate) by the Hampton Review team at the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS), a programme of assessment of all regulatory bodies.

In vivo skills
Following the BSF/APBI report ‘In vivo Sciences: sustaining the supply of skills in the 21st century’ Clive Page was invited to Chair the Office of Life Sciences (OLS) In vivo skills Working Group. This allowed us to progress an existing ASG initiative and we are awaiting approval for a 4-year integrated Masters programme which will be piloted at King’s College, London in 2011. Initially the programme will take suitably qualified people for the 4th year. In time this will become a full intercalated Masters.

Joint meetings
A joint meeting with the Home Office and Universities UK took place on 3rd Nov 2010 on Options for transposition of Directive 2010/63/EU into UK legislation. These meetings are extremely successful and help to maintain the close relationship the ASG enjoys with ASPD.

Consultations
The ASG has made several submissions on the revision of Directive 86/609/EEC (now 2010/63/EU) as part of the UK Bioscience Sector Coalition and in recent years has been consulted on a wide range of issues including the Home Office IT strategy, the Hampton Review, Defra’s proposals for veterinary checks on rabies-susceptible animals at border inspection posts, and a ban on sale of non–native Xenopus laevis amongst many others.

Relationship with other Organisations
The ASG is a founding member of the European Coalition for Biomedical Research (ECBR) and maintains a close relationship with UAR, the NC3Rs and the Boyd Group.