Government wishes everyone a cruelty-free Christmas!
The Leader of the House of Commons wished the UK a cruelty-free Christmas last week, in response to a question raised in Parliament by Sarah Champion – just in time for the MP and Cruelty Free International to host their Christmas reception in the Churchill Room on Wednesday afternoon.
The question put to Lucy Powell MP asked: “In our manifesto, Labour committed to phasing out animal testing, a goal that is not only widely supported by the public but is also critical for advancing scientific innovation. However, this achievement requires the government to work cross-departmental, so will the Leader of the House allow time to debate this issue so that Parliament can explore how to turn this commitment into a concrete action? And will she join me in hoping for a cruelty-free Christmas?”
Powell answered: “I do join her in hoping for a cruelty-free Christmas and she raises important issues. We have a number of manifesto commitments in this area, and she will know they are not currently in the legislative programme for this session. But I am aware of the strength of feeling and I’m sure that things will be brought forward in the usual way.”
Cruelty Free International was recently one of 11 animal protection organisations to sign an open letter urging the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, to make progress on the government’s commitment to develop a roadmap for the phase-out of animal testing in the UK.
The letter – encouraging a roadmap with an ambitious timeframe, clear milestones and achievable goals to end animal testing to help the government deliver the pledge in the Labour Party’s 2024 General Election manifesto – was also signed by 20 Members of Parliament, four Peers, 25 local councillors and four academics. It highlighted the strength of public and political opinion on the subject and suggested that “new leadership could make a lasting impact on the UK science sector and reap the associated benefits across industry, employment, the economy, public health, and animal welfare”.
In September, Champion asked the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle MP, to publish a timetable for the phase-out of animal testing before Christmas. The Department responded by saying that: “The government is committed to reducing use of animals in scientific research in the long term” but unfortunately were unable to provide any further detail.
Animal welfare minister Baroness Sue Hayman confirmed in September at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool that the development of the government’s phase-out plan will be led by Lord Patrick Vallance, Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation.
Our ‘Creating a cruelty-free future’ report has outlined our initial recommendations to assist the government in their plans to phase out animal testing in the UK – none of which require the introduction of new laws or major additional expenditure, and can be started without delay.
Home Office statistics show that there were over 2.68 million uses of animals in laboratories in Great Britain in 2023 – a decrease of just 3 per cent on 2022. Around 9 per cent of those were in legally required tests aimed at assessing the safety or effectiveness of chemicals, medicines and other products; 29 per cent were in basic, curiosity-driven research; and 14 per cent were in research into treatments or cures for diseases that are purely exploratory and not required by law.
Champion said: “Our current research system is barbaric and unnecessary. Ending animal testing is widely supported by the public and is critical for advancing scientific innovation. As the MP for Rotherham, I know that animal welfare is close to the heart of many constituents and is something I am often contacted about. Like them, I demand the end of animal testing. The Government needs to present ambitious timelines to phase it out for good and to help the UK keep pace with global progress.”
Cruelty Free International’s Head of Public Affairs, Dylan Underhill, said: “Labour has a strong track record on animal protection and have given firm indications that they intend to build on it – but over 7,340 animals suffer in laboratories in the UK every day and the public have told us that ending animal testing is a matter of great urgency. All of the building blocks are in place for the phase-out of animal testing and making the UK a world leader in cutting-edge, animal-free science, including the commitment to investment in Life Sciences that the government made in the autumn budget.
“We continue to stand ready to assist with the development of a comprehensive plan to build a world free from animal testing. Civil society organisations like Cruelty Free International have an extraordinary amount of experience to bring to the table in terms of scientific and regulatory expertise, social change insights, and strong public engagement. A total phase-out is within our grasp if we work across society and boldly seize the opportunities presented by cutting-edge, humane and human-relevant science.”
Cruelty Free International and Sarah Champion host "Building Momentum for Change" in the Churchill Room on Wednesday, 18 December from 2pm to 4pm. All are welcome.
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