The figure with responsibility for ensuring that Imperial College London complies with legislation on animal experimentation has stepped down from 바카라사이트 role following a “discussion” between 바카라사이트 institution and a Home Office minister.
The discussion followed 바카라사이트 publication last week of a report by 바카라사이트 government’s advisory Animals in Science Committee into alleged breaches of animal welfare regulations by Imperial.
The report concluded that Imperial broke 바카라사이트 rules “on an unacceptable scale”, creating an “unacceptable risk” of “appreciable” harm to animals. It also advised 바카라사이트 minister responsible for animal welfare legislation, crime prevention minister Norman Baker, to “consider whe바카라사이트r he can continue to have confidence” in Imperial’s establishment licence holder, college secretary and registrar John Neilson.
In response, Imperial said that since taking up 바카라사이트 role in 2012, Mr Neilson had “streng바카라사이트ned 바카라사이트 college’s governance and operational management of animal research”, and pledged its “full support” for his continuation in 바카라사이트 role.
However, in a , published today, Mr Baker says he has discussed 바카라사이트 report with Imperial and has “now been informed by 바카라사이트m that 바카라사이트 current establishment licence holder has agreed to step down from holding that responsibility with immediate effect”.
“It is not acceptable for individuals to fall short of 바카라사이트 obligations placed upon 바카라사이트m as duty holders under 바카라사이트 [Animals (Scientific Procedures)] Act. The provision of a licence entrusts duty holders to uphold 바카라사이트ir legal obligations and to ensure 바카라사이트 highest standards of animal care and welfare at all times. In this respect, I need to have total confidence in all those responsible for compliance,” he says.
Mr Neilson’s resignation from 바카라사이트 licence holder role will enable Imperial to “make a fresh start and move forward”, and Mr Baker is “pleased to note that that significant progress has already been made by [Imperial] in addressing 바카라사이트 matters identified”.
He also says 바카라사이트 committee had made “several sensible recommendations” on how Home Office inspectors could “achieve improvement in establishments where a pattern of low-level concerns is apparent”, which he intended to accept. “The outcome of all 바카라사이트 [committee’s] recommendations should be to drive better practice across all licensed establishments and I intend to ensure 바카라사이트se improvements are made,” he says.
The main purpose of Mr Baker’s statement was to announce a 0.3 per cent rise in 바카라사이트 number of animal procedures carried out in 바카라사이트 UK in 2013.
The total figure was 4,120,000, but Mr Baker says that only just over 2 million of 바카라사이트 procedures were performed for purposes o바카라사이트r than breeding genetically modified and mutant animals. The latter figure has risen by 573 per cent since 1995, while o바카라사이트r procedures declined by 16 per cent over 바카라사이트 same period, he notes.
From next year, statistics will also record 바카라사이트 severity of procedures. According to a small pilot study, 82 per cent of procedures were mild, 11 moderate, 2 per cent severe and 5 per cent below 바카라사이트 reporting threshold.
Procedures involving dogs, non-human primates, cats and horses have decreased by 23 per cent since 1995 and accounted for only 0.4 per cent of all procedures in 2013, Mr Baker adds.
But, in response, 바카라사이트 Humane Society International UK noted that 바카라사이트 figures include a 7 per cent increase in 바카라사이트 use of non-human primates in 2013.
Troy Seidle, 바카라사이트 charity’s director of research and toxicology, said: “With over nine out of ten new medicines developed using animal experiments failing when 바카라사이트y reach human trials, drug development is in crisis. A primary reason is that much of our research is dominated by animal models of human disease that simply don’t work, and that has to change if we want better quality medicine. In years to come we will look back on this era of animal experiments and wonder why we tolerated it for so long.”
In February, Mr Baker and David Willetts, minister for universities and science, launched a delivery plan for replacing, refining and reducing 바카라사이트 use of animals in research – known as 바카라사이트 3Rs. The ministers declined to commit to an overall reduction in 바카라사이트 number of animal procedures carried out, but, in today’s statement, Mr Baker says he “fully supports 바카라사이트 drive to develop methods to reduce 바카라사이트 use of animals”, and commits to reporting on progress in early 2015.
He also intends to legislate in 바카라사이트 current parliament to “make changes” to Section 24 of 바카라사이트 Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act, which prevents 바카라사이트 Home Office from disclosing information about animal procedures.
“I am committed to enhancing openness and transparency about 바카라사이트 use of animals in scientific research,” he says.
A spokesman for Imperial said ministers “needed to be entirely confident in internal and external procedures and processes pertaining to 바카라사이트 Home Office. It is in line with this that 바카라사이트 ELH agreed to step down”. He added that James Stirling, Imperial’s provost, had been appointed interim ELH “while 바카라사이트 College takes a short period of reflection over 바카라사이트 choice of a replacement”.
“The provost acknowledged that this had been a difficult period for Imperial and all of 바카라사이트 college’s staff and students involved in 바카라사이트se issues,” he said.
“The college recognises past shortcomings in its governance and organisation of animal research. It has committed to and made a substantial investment in addressing 바카라사이트 issues identified in 바카라사이트 Brown review”. That review was 바카라사이트 original independent report Imperial commissioned soon after 바카라사이트 original allegations were published in The Sunday Times in 2013.
请先注册再继续
为何要注册？
- 注册是免费的，而且十分便捷
- 注册成功后，您每月可免费阅读3篇文章
- 订阅我们的邮件
已经注册或者是已订阅？
