27 February 2008
We received a petition asking:
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to demonstrate support for animal research."
Details of Petition:
"Animal research has enabled scientists to find treatments for cancer, vaccines and antibiotics. This does not advocate using animals unnecessarily but animal research is required because sometimes there are no other viable alternatives. In addition it is unrealistic to force animal research to stop by a certain date since nobody can predict future scientific progress in finding other methods that produce accurate results compared with those from animal research. It is for these reasons this petition calls for continued support for animal research."
Read the Government’s response
Thank you for signing the e-petition calling for continued support for animal research.
The Government’s policy on the use of animals in scientific procedures is clear and straightforward. There is still a need for the responsible use of animals for experimental and other scientific purposes to continue if improvements in healthcare and veterinary treatment are to be developed with the minimum of delay and to make proper provision to protect man and the environment from health risks and other hazards.
Our health and that of our families depends on society finding cures for the health problems and diseases that currently reduce the quality of life of millions of people around the world and condemn many to an early death. We all expect to be protected from potentially harmful substances in the home and workplace and want the countryside and wildlife to be protected from environmental pollution.
At the same time, most people would prefer animals not to be used to achieve these outcomes if they might be caused pain or harm in the process. The Government’s job is to find a way of balancing and satisfying these aspirations as far as current science and technologies allow. We believe current legislation provides a highly effective means of doing this. The use of animals in experiments and other scientific procedures is strictly regulated by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and is widely regarded as the most rigorous piece of legislation of its type in the world. It offers a high level of protection to animals whilst recognising the need at present to use animals in research. The use of animals in scientific procedures is prohibited by the 1986 Act in cases where a scientifically valid, non-animal alternative is available.
We consider it is unrealistic, and would raise false hopes, to set a date by which it will be feasible to phase out animal use before scientific progress provides the means to do so. The majority of scientific opinion believes that it will take several decades to make the advances needed to overcome all need for animals and this cannot be driven by arbitrary deadlines. If we allow this work to move away from the UK, experiments on animals are likely to be displaced to regions where animal welfare standards and the drivers to reduce the number of animals, reduce their suffering and replace them altogether are lower
The Government strongly supports the development of alternatives to animal use in scientific procedures and many things are being done both by Government and the scientific community to find alternatives to animal use. The Government funds the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs).
We welcome the support this petition voices concerning research and testing using animals in this country.